Former opposition party leader Chung Dong-young announced Monday he would run in one of the by-elections on April 29, complicating to the race for the Gwanak constituency seat in Seoul.

Chung, 61, who is planning to found a new political party, tentatively named People’s Union held a news conference to announce his bid for the National Assembly seat.

“I decided to do my utmost to provide a better place for the have-nots. Working along with them, I will emerge victorious in this election,” Chung told reporters.

“Unfortunately, (my party) was not able to nominate any candidate for any of the constituencies. If we are left empty-handed in this election, we can never build a new opposition party as an alternative to the current dynamics. That is why I decided to throw myself into the race,” the former presidential candidate and former opposition party chairman said.

Pundits said his move appeared to reflect his determination to create a new opposition force.

“Chung’s move may be part of an attempt to make a deal with the New Politics Alliance for Democracy. Now that the 2016 general election is approaching, he wants to bring the main opposition party to the table to forge a coalition with his party,” said Yun Seong-yi, a political science professor at Kyung Hee University

The by-elections will fill three seats, in Seoul, Gwangju and Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, vacated by the Unified Progressive Party following its dissolution by the Constitutional Court in December.

A seat in Incheon is also being contested.

Analysts expect the ruling Saenuri Party to win in Seoul and Seongnam, while the main opposition party would likely win in Incheon and Gwangju ― considered its stronghold.

With Chung throwing his hat into the ring, the opposition candidate in Gwanak is likely to face a tougher competition, observers said.

Chung left the NPAD in January, saying that he was frustrated by the party’s failure to meet the demands of the people. He accused the party of being right-leaning and losing its liberal value. He then moved to build his own party which he believes better represents his political view.

His decision has been met with harsh criticism from both ruling and opposition party members. They accused him of acting only in his personal political interests. Some even called him a “migratory politician,” a derogative term to refer to Korean politicians who frequently switch political allegiance.

“(Chung’s decision) shows how divided the opposition parties are,” said Kim Moo-sung, the leader of the ruling party. “As witnessed by the North Korea sympathizer case, we shouldn’t tolerate opposition parties’ unruly association with political parties with which who they don’t share the same ideology.”

Mindful of the repercussions, NPAD leader Moon Jae-in also expressed discomfort toward Chung’s move.

“We won’t build a coalition with Chung’s new party,” said Moon “This by-election is all about holding the Park administration accountable for their misguided policies and laying the ground for taking back the government. In that sense, I am baffled whether Chung made the decision that would live up to people’s aspiration.”

A former journalist, Chung entered politics as a lawmaker in 1996. Afterward, he served as unification minister during the Roh Moo-hyun administration and went on to run in the 2007 presidential election as the main opposition party candidate. He lost to Lee Myung-bak by the biggest margin since the 1987 election.

By Yeo Jun-suk (jasonyeo@heraldcorp.com)