Rebuilding Korea Party leader Cho Kuk has agreed with the Democratic Party’s(DP) proposal to form a preparatory committee that will discuss the merger of the two parties after the June 3 local elections.

Cho made the statement on Wednesday at an emergency Supreme Council meeting at the National Assembly, saying that his party would hold a steering committee meeting this week to formally approve the launch of the preparatory committee.

On Tuesday evening, DP Chairman Jung Chung-rae said his party had decided to suspend discussions on a potential merger with the Rebuilding Korea Party until after the local elections.

Cho stressed the need to clarify whether the Democratic Party is proposing concrete cooperation, starting with the local elections, or merely issuing an abstract call for solidarity.

He said that if the proposal involves an electoral alliance, the preparatory committee should determine its principles and methods, while discussions after the local elections should focus on the meaning and format of integration.

Cho also said he would accept the DP chair’s apology for conflicts that emerged after his merger proposal, adding that his party members had been deeply hurt and that any integration efforts driven by individual politicians or factional interests would inevitably backfire.