Uri Party Lawmakers Discuss Split

In the ruling Uri Party’s lawmaker workshop held on December 27 at the National Assembly, it was openly suggested that if an internal agreement is not reached regarding the party’s future path, splitting it should also be an option.

On the last day of the year-end special session of the National Assembly, the Uri Party held the workshop in which lawmakers had a heated debate over where the party should go in the face of the presidential election next year. A unified conclusion could not be produced, however, as its members in favor of a new party, who say the party should join forces with the Democratic Party, former Prime Minister Goh Kun and others, were confronted by other members opposing it.

In the workshop, Rep. Yang Hyung-il, one of those advocating creation of a new party, said, “The party convention in February next year should be one that declares a unified new party. If a true agreement [on the party’s future] cannot be reached, a ‘divorce by mutual agreement’ should also be taken into account.” This means that depending on the situation, they can go as far as to split the party.

Rep. Oh Young-sik stated, “Let us decide on a grand unification of pro-peace and pro–reform forces at the party convention and entrust full powers to the leadership nominated on the basis of consensus.” Rep. Lim Jong-seok said, “The forces advocating peace and reform are utterly divided, and the Uri Party is not at the center of them. This inevitably leads us to take the path of a new party.”

In response, Rep. Kim Hyung-ju, a lawmaker in favor of maintaining the party and member of the “Solidarity for Putting Participatory Politics into Practice,” made it clear he was opposed to creating a new party by stressing, “A unification seemingly driven by political engineering cannot move people’s hearts.”

Lawmakers of the Uri Party, however, agreed that the party’s fate was in jeopardy as its approval rating fell below 10 percent and it lacked a prominent presidential candidate to confront the Grand National Party. As they decided to constantly pursue changes in the political landscape, it is expected that a ruling party-led political restructuring will gain momentum.

yongari@donga.com