Ahn and Kim merged their group with that of another defector from the NPAD, Chun Jung-bae, to form the People's Party. Īhn was followed by a number of NPAD assembly members, including his former co-leader Kim Han-gil and Kwon Rho-kap, a former aide of President Kim Dae-jung from the party's stronghold of Honam. Moon rejected his demand, and Ahn left the party. On 29 November, Ahn rejected a proposal from Moon to establish a joint leadership, and presented Moon with a demand to call a convention to elect a new party leader.
A survey conducted on 12–14 November 2015 showed that supporters of the party wanted Ahn and Seoul mayor Park Won-soon to assume the leadership alongside Moon. Īs the factional conflict intensified, the party lost support, falling from around 40 to 30 percent in opinion polls. Moon came under fire for imposing a "pro-Roh hegemony" in the party, as Ahn and Kim were jeered and harassed at a memorial service for Roh held in May 2015. Moon, who had previously served as chief of staff for former president Roh Moo-hyun, was the leader of the party's "pro-Roh" faction, which was opposed to Ahn and Kim. The next year, at a party convention on 7 February, Moon Jae-in was elected the new chairman of the party. Leadership of the party was then assumed by an emergency committee. When the party performed poorly in by-elections that July, both leaders stepped down, having served for three months. Ahn and Kim became joint leaders of the new party. The former Democratic Party was absorbed into the NPAD while the preparatory committee of the NPVP was dissolved, with members who supported the merger joining the NPAD individually. The Democratic Party was formed as the New Politics Alliance for Democracy ( 새정치민주연합 Saejeongchi Minju Yeonhap) on 26 March 2014 after an independent group led by Ahn Cheol-soo, then in the process of forming a party called the New Political Vision Party, merged with the Democratic Party led by Kim Han-gil. History Formation and Ahn–Kim leadership (March–July 2014) 2.4.1 Reunification of North and South Korea.1.8 Under Song Young-gil (May 2021–present).1.5 Under Lee Hae-chan (August 2018–August 2020).