The opposition circles, already divided into The Minjoo Party of Korea and independent Rep. Ahn Cheol-soo’s forthcoming People’s Party, are facing yet another snag -- the potential emergence of a new group led by Minjoo defectors.

Holding the key is Chun Jung-bae, a former justice minister and a fifth-term lawmaker representing the progressive-leaning Gwangju region, who will soon be kicking off a new political party.

Chun is expected to announce within the week a trilateral solidarity with independent Rep. Park Joo-sun and former party senior adviser Chung Dong-young.

The three lawmakers’ consensus came amid growing concerns that ongoing divisions may further split the progressive voters ahead of the general election in April.

“It is possible that the three may announce their unity, even before Chun’s new party kicks off,” an aide to Chun said.

The details of the process are yet undecided. Park may either join Chun’s new party once it is established or choose to establish his own party and then work on an inter-party integration, according to the official.

Chun on Saturday held a close-door meeting with Park in Gwangju to confirm their much-anticipated solidarity.

Chung, who had left town after losing in the by-election last April, also consented to the need of reuniting the voters’ divided support in Gwangju and Jeolla Provinces. He is largely speculated to announce, or at least allude to, his political comeback at a lecture he is to give on Monday at a women’s employment center in Jeonju, North Jeolla Province.

The imminent solidarity of these former and incumbent Jeolla-based lawmakers will act as a variable to the two parties – the Minjoo Party and People’s Party -- as both are struggling to pull up their faltering approval ratings in the strategically important Southwest.

According to a national survey conducted by local pollster Gallup Korea from Tuesday to Thursday last week, the Minjoo Party received 32 percent support in the area, while the People’s Party stood at 26 percent.

Although the Minjoo camp has slightly recovered since its party split, it still finds itself at the risk of losing its grip on a long-time favorable constituency cluster.

The People’s Party, which has recently come under fire for recruitment failures, could use the support of Chun’s solidarity to win back its earlier initiative in the southwestern Jeolla provinces. The forthcoming party is also seeking to recruit more incumbent lawmakers so as to meet the 20-member mark and thus constitute a parliamentary negotiation body.

To the anxiety of both opposition groups, however, Rep. Chun is continuing to withholding his stance on a possible unity with existing parties.

“We will keep an equal distance from the Minjoo Party and People’s Party for a while,” Chun said, demanding that both parties first achieve true reform, before talking of integration.

His partner Rep. Park, on the other hand, claimed that their minority unity should soon join Ahn’s group.

“Once we form a partial unity on our own, we should then move onto the ‘grand integration’ (with the People’s Party),” Park said.