Lee Jung-hyun as a biological 'Honam' person

Main Saenuri Party leader Lee Jung-hyun is a biological "Honam" person, Rep. Choo Mi-ae of the Minjoo Party told CBS Radio's "Kim Hyun-jung News Show." A South Jeolla Province born man, Lee has said he will earn Honam votes at the presidential election. Being asked whether she feels this as a threat, Choo said, "No," adding "He is male and so he's biologically Honam. I am also wife of a Honam man." Choo is from Daegu and her husband was born in Jeongeup, North Jeolla Province.

The term "biological parent" is used frequently in the U.S. where child adoption is not rare. There are people who were adopted to a U.S. family as a child and return to Korea to find their biological parents when they are grown up. It is a wonder how Choo's term biological Honam is different from a biological parent. Perhaps she meant to say that if Lee was born in Honam, she married to a Honam person.

Given that Choo is running for the Minjoo Party leader competition on Aug. 27, this could be intended to have a purpose. Choo said, "What Honam wants is the person who can properly absorb and realize Honam value and spirit in politics." She said the Minjoo Party is the only one that has succeeded the spirit of June 15 South-North Summit and the late President Roh Moo-hyun's October 4 South-North Joint Declaration. She meant that she, a Yeongnam born politician, can better represent the spirit of both the late presidents Kim Dae-jung Roh Moo-hyun. Even if Lee, Saenuri's new leader, says he will keep Honam budget, he is just a biological Honam to Choo since "he does not have anything related to Kim and Roh."

The late President Kim Dae-jung made various attempts in lawmaker candidate-nomination system in order to resolve anti-regional sentiment. When he appointed Choo as vice spokeswoman of the then New Politics People's Party in 1995 to make her debut in the political sector, Kim must have taken regional factors into account. Even if she desperately wants Honam votes, Choo seems to have gone too far mentioning the words "biological Honam."

김순덕 yuri@donga.com