Grand National Party Holds Joint Speech Session at Chuncheon

The Grand National Party held a joint speech session of the party’s primary candidates, including former Seoul Mayor Lee Myung-bak, former party Chair Park Geun-hye, Representatives Hong Joon-pyo and Won Hee-ryong in Chuncheon yesterday.

The contenders wished for the safe release of Korean hostages in Afghanistan with one voice at the session, which lasted for one and a half hours, with the participation of the party leadership, including Chairman Kang Jae-sup and some 2,500 members. However, unlike the expectations that the session would be held in a calm atmosphere because of the hostage situation, it turned out to be yet another overheated event.

Mobilization of police-

There were the usual scuffles between those who wanted to enter the hall and staff members who blocked their entry. The party sent invitation letters to 5,931 electors in Gangwon Province, but many other supporters of the “Big 2” candidates whose names or addresses are different from the ones on the invitation letters attempted to secure entry.

In particular, supporters of the Big 2 were scuffling at around 1:00 p.m. in front of the hall. After finding that Yoon, a leading member of the GNP Gangwon chapter, was holding many invitation letters, they fought each other for 15 minutes. Eventually, the fight was settled when police came to the scene and took Yoon with them.

However, Park’s camp argued, “A female leading member of the Gangwon Chapter who supports Lee was caught distributing entry cards to those on her side,” said Jang Kwang-keun, spokesperson for Lee’s camp. “The chair of the Gangwon chapter is Shim Jae-yup, a core member of Park’s camp, while the female leading member is Shim’s aide. They should explain how Yoon got so many invitation letters and entry cards.”

Yoon met with reporters and said, “I just had some 20 invitation letters for staff members who were to deliver wreaths of flowers to candidates. It seems that there was some misunderstanding.”

In the session that day, the seats were arranged in a way that the supporters of the Big 2 had seats opposite to each other in order to prevent possible scuffles. There were scuffles between the two sides in sessions in Jeju and Incheon last month.

Lee Myung-bak-

Lee said, “My opponents are labeling me as a real estate speculator with backbiting and lies. But they cannot succeed in their plan as long as there is the truth,” stressing, “If it turned out that I was really engaged in real estate speculation, I’ll take all political responsibility for that.”

In response to Park’s offense about his qualifications, Lee sarcastically said, “When I sold fish in the traditional market as a young man, the merchant in the next stand said that my fish were not fresh. As a result, customers stopped coming to our market, thinking that the entire market were selling fish of low quality.”

Park Geun-hye-

Park said, “Some people call me an ‘easy candidate.’ But I think that an easy candidate is someone who is easy to attack because of so many suspicions surrounding them,” in an apparent attack against Lee.

Park also argued, “(Lee says) An attack from within hurts more. But if the party elects a weak candidate, he cannot weather harsh attacks from the other parties. I’m the one who can endure the severest attacks.”

Hong Joon-pyo-

Hong has produced a cheerful atmosphere at every joint speech session. That day, he demanded that candidates refrain from engaging in a “negative campaign.” He said, “As a former prosecutor who was in politics together with Lee for 10 years, I guarantee that Lee is not a corrupt candidate,” adding, “Park is not a weak candidate. She is the savior of the GNP and an iron lady who is stronger than former U.K. Premier Margaret Thatcher.”

Won said, “The GNP should break from the old practice and compliance and rise to power in the December election,” arguing, “I’ll lead the way.”

Big 2 camps continue aggressive attacks-

Park’s election camp announced the seven shortcomings of Lee: real estate speculation, insufficient experience in state affairs, invalidity of his self-promotion as an economic export, lack of will to abide by the rule of law, insufficient contribution to the development of the party, lack of skills in diplomacy and security, and insufficient quality as a leader.

In response, Park Hyeong-joon, spokesperson of Lee’s camp said, “(No matter what Park’s party argues,) There has been no precedent in which the situation reversed two weeks prior to the presidential election.”

Lee’s camp criticized, “Park lied to party members and the public in the hearing,” mentioning that a former chairman of the groups of admirers of former President Park Jung-hee and First Lady Yook Young-soo said, “Reverend Choi Tae-min participated in running the Yookyoung Foundation, and Park knew about Choi’s abuse of power.” However, Park’s camp dismissed this, saying, “It is not worth a response.”

Dong-A Ilbo’s internship reporters Choi Woo-ri (senior at Ewha Womans University) and Park Kyung-joon (senior at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies) contributed to this story.