Grand National Party and United New Democratic Party Agonies

The Grand National Party and the United New Democratic Party are having headaches due to potential match up of former GNP Chair Lee Hoi-chang and former Yuhan-Kimberly CEO Mun Guk-hyeon as their respective presidential candidates.

Rumors are circulating that Lee is preparing to run as an independent candidate. If that materializes, that will undermine support for GNP candidate Lee Myung-bak. Also, in the pro-ruling camp, Mun Guk-hyeon’s candidacy is highly likely to eat away support for UNDP candidate Chung Dong-young.

It cannot ostensibly express it, but the UNDP desperately wishes that Lee would run for the presidency. That is because it believes that such a variable could divide support for Lee Myung-bak, which remains steadfast even in the face of suspicions that he was involved in price manipulating BBK stocks.

The atmosphere at GNP headquarters is tense surrounding whether Lee Hoi-chang will run.

Some 500 members of the “People’s Forum for A Hopeful Country,” Lee Hoi-chang’s supporters’ club, gathered in front of a Seoul building that housed his office yesterday. Bearing a placard reading, “We urge you to make the decision to save the country and run.”

Meanwhile, GNP Rep. Maeng Hyeong-gyu released an editorial entitled “Who disgraces former Chair Lee Hoi-chang?” on his website. He wrote, “It disgraces the former chair to circulate a rumor that he will run for the presidency, as he values principles and cause more than anything else.”

Lee is reportedly staying at his home and not making appointments. Some in the GNP say that he recently called a family meeting to decide whether to run. However, Lee’s close associate said, “There was no such event. Lee does not make decisions through family meetings.”

Lee’s aide Lee Heung-ju said, “Former Chair Lee is agonizing over what role to play in an administration change. He will not make a decision regarding his presidential run in just a few days.”

Equally uncomfortable are the UNDP’s feelings toward Mun.

The political circle predicts that support for Mun, currently at six to eight percent, could go up to more than 10 percent, as voter recognition of him would rise after he launches a new party today and holds a primary on November 4.

However, the prevailing forecast of the political circle is that rising support for Mun will mostly undermine support for Chung.

Support for Chung was around 15 to 18 percent in major opinion polls after hitting 19 percent on October 17 immediately after the UNDP’s primary, according to a survey conducted by Research Plus.

taylor55@donga.com