While the main political parties struggled with internal feuds, a former right-wing lawmaker confirmed his plans to start a new party to embrace both conservatives and moderate liberals.

Park Se-il, president of the non-profit think tank Hansun Foundation, pledged at a press conference Wednesday to organize a preparatory committee in January and to launch the party by late February.

“We plan to register 200 or more candidates in the April general election,” he said.

“At least 30 percent of the in-party nominee positions are to be allocated to junior members and women.”

He also said that he may meet with professor Ahn Cheol-soo, who is rumored to be planning to set up a new liberal party and possibly to run in the presidential race.

Park created political tension last month by announcing he would create a party that could mediate the current inter-party disputes.

His move was based on a view that voters, especially the younger generation, distrust the rivalry between the ruling Grand National Party and the main opposition Democratic Party, especially after the Oct. 26 Seoul mayoral by-election, won by DP-backed independent candidate Park Won-soon.

“I dream of a party which may even embrace Rep. Park Geun-hye of the ruling Grand National Party and Rep. Sohn Hak-kyu of the main opposition Democratic Party,” Park said last month.

As the GNP and the DP have lately been hit by leadership disputes and consolidation feuds, respectively, some observers predicted that Park’s party could lure members from both camps.

The list of the party’s promoters includes Lee Seog-yeon, a right-wing civic activist who was set to challenge the Seoul mayoral seat but later gave up his candidacy.

The former lawmaker is also making contact with reform-inclined members of the GNP, which may possibly include Reps. Jeong Tae-keun and Kim Song-sik, who broke away from the party amid disputes over party reform.

Rep. Kim, however, denied any intention to join the new party.

“I did not resolve to defect just to join another conservative group that is not likely to bring about fundamental reforms,” he said in a radio interview.

By Bae Hyun-jung (tellme@heraldcorp.com)