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Liberty Forward Party

Advancement Unification Party
선진통일당
Seonjin Tongildang
President Lee In-je
Assembly leader Kim Nak-seong
Founded 1 February 2008 (2008-02-01)
Dissolved 25 October 2012 (2012-10-25)
Split from Grand National Party
Merged into Saenuri Party
Headquarters 14-14 Yongsan Building, Yeoeuido-dong Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul
Ideology Liberal conservatism
Political position Centre-right
National affiliation Advancement and Creation Association (2008–2009)
International affiliation None
Colours Dark Blue
Seats in the National Assembly
4 / 300
Seats within local government
172 / 3,893
Website
https://web.archive.org/web/20100715210859/http://www.jayou.or.kr/
Advancement Unification Party
Hangul 선진통일당
Hanja 先進統一黨
Revised Romanization Seonjin Tongil-dang
McCune–Reischauer Sŏnchin T'ongil-tang
Liberty Forward Party (formerly)
Hangul 자유선진당
Hanja 自由先進黨
Revised Romanization Jayu Seonjin-dang
McCune–Reischauer Chayu Sŏnjin-tang

Advancement Unification Party (Hangul선진통일당; Hanja先進統一黨) or AUP formerly known as Liberty Forward Party was a conservative political party in South Korea. This party was created by Lee Hoi Chang, the presidential candidate who lost 2007 presidential elections. On 12 February 2008, the party merged with the People First Party, which got 18 seats in the 2008 Parliamentary election, making it the third-largest party in the National Assembly. The party was absorbed by Saenuri Party in November 16, 2012.

In February–March 2012, just before the scheduled national elections, Liberty Forward Party representative Park Sun-young became active in the "Save My Friend" campaign, a series of protests protesting China's policy of forcibly repatriating North Korean refugees; she went on hunger strike in front of the Chinese embassy in Seoul and was hospitalized after fainting; once she recovered she resumed her efforts to raise awareness about North Korean human rights issues. In April, during a speech at an event hosted by the Korean-American Freedom League, Park criticized the Catholic Association for Peace and Justice, questioning its silence on the plight of North Korean refugees and arguing that the Left's anti-Americanism was distracting from much more serious issues: "Defectors) are ruthlessly being killed, so how can you remain completely silent? In the Republic of Korea, there is a wildfire anti-American movement, but they never make a single critical statement against China.”

In the 2012 National Assembly election the party lost all but five of its 18 seats, declining to the fourth position, well behind the left-leaning Unified Progressive Party (which gained seats). Party leader Sim Dae-pyung announced his resignation after the party's poor performance.


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