Reforming Party Nominations: To Be or Not To Be?

Kim Yun-hwan, who passed away in Dec. 2003, was a kingmaker whose name will be immortalized in the annals of Korean political history. He made a pivotal decision in electing two presidents -- Roh Tae-woo and Kim Young-sam -- and selecting one presidential candidate -- Lee Hoi-chang. Kim Yun-hwan, favored by the Chun Doo-hwan and Roh Tae-woo administrations, was ousted by then Grand National Party (GNP) Chairman Lee Hoi-chang, who reformed the party’s nomination system shortly before the 16th general election in 2000. Kim, shocked by the betrayal, eventually died of cancer. When Lee visited Kim at his sickbed to apologize, Kim reportedly said nothing in response.

Representative Kim Mu-seong, who worked as a close confidant of Park Geun-hye during the GNP’s primary election last year, angrily protested yesterday saying, “The term ‘mulgali’ (meaning “reshuffling” or “change”) was a personal insult.” He made the comment in response to some GNP lawmakers’ claims that “lots of incumbent representatives should be removed” in the run up to the general election this April. Considering that politicians who are excluded from party nomination suffer a serious setback, his response is understandable. However, around 40% of incumbent representatives and district leaders have been left out from party nominations for general elections. Though the expression “mulgali” (literally meaning “changing the water”) itself is somewhat insulting, the public demands and the party’s election strategy depend on the nomination of new faces.

GNP’s Kim Yong-gab announced yesterday that he would not run in the general election. In a report titled, “Receiving Honorable Discharge after Three Terms,” he said “I want to leave when people can applaud me.” Kim, who graduated from the Korea Military Academy, worked as the planning and coordination team leader of the Agency for National Security Planning under the Chun Doo-hwan administration and Minister of Government Administration under the Roh Tae-woo administration. He finally became a representative in the National Assembly in 1996. Even though he has been called an “extreme conservative” for characterizing the Kim Dae-jung administration as the “second company of the Chosun Labor Party of North Korea,” and Chung Dong-young as the “Unification Minister of the Chosun Labor Party of North Korea,” he is also considered a “true conservative” for maintaining his views.

There is a saying that the water mill cannot turn without water passing through it. If a nomination is held in a district where the politician has overstayed his term, it’s better for him to leave gracefully before being ousted by the party. But speaking of this, why are there no representatives from the United New Democratic Party or the Democratic Party, which suffered a crushing defeat in last year’s presidential election, voluntarily stepping down from office? Is because they lack of sense of responsibility, too?

Editorial Writer Gwon Sun-taek, maypole@donga.com