Three minor opposition parties will form a new progressive party as part of efforts to boost their chances in next year’s parliamentary elections, their leaders said, while the main opposition party is working hard to form a broad alliance with other liberal forces and civic groups.

Leaders of three minor parties -- the Democratic Labor Party, the People’s Participatory Party and a party made up of defectors from the Progressive New Party -- announced that they will hold a convention to set the new progressive party’s platform and nomination rules for the April general elections. A specific schedule has not been set up yet.

Talks have been under way for months to form a united front among minor opposition parties, but stakeholders of each party were divided over whether to form a coalition or create a new progressive party.

If combined, the bloc would hold seven seats in the 299-member unicameral parliament.

The breakthrough came as the main opposition Democratic Party (DP) is stepping up its efforts with left-leaning parties and civic groups to form a broad coalition to boost liberals’ chances in next year‘s parliamentary and presidential votes.

It is the first time in 20 years that the parliamentary and presidential elections will occur in the same year.

DP leader Sohn Hak-kyu and Moon Jae-in, former presidential chief of staff for late former President Roh Moo-hyun, earlier this week reached an agreement to establish a joint task force on Sunday to carry out the plan and hold a party convention in mid-December.

Moon, who has no party affiliation, has been working hard to get former senior Roh administration officials, civic activists and minor opposition parties to take part in his campaign to form an opposition coalition.

The coalition drive among liberal forces gained momentum after Park Won-soon, an opposition-backed independent, scored a surprise victory over a high-profile ruling party politician in last month’s election for Seoul mayor, which was seen as a gauge of public sentiment on major showdowns. Park, a dedicated civic activist with a broad network of NGOs, also has joined talks to form an alliance.

The worsening income gap between South Korea’s haves and have-nots and high youth unemployment are emerging as hot political issues for next year’s elections in Asia’s fourth-largest economy.

The latest surveys show growing voter discontent with the Lee Myung-bak administration, known for business-friendly policies. Lee cannot seek re-election because South Korean law limits presidents to one five-year term. (Yonhap News)