Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Ya-ta Boy]

In today's Chosun Ilbo:

Uri Leaders Announce Secession From Ruling Party

President Roh Moo-hyun and the ruling Uri Party�s presidential hopefuls have started playing a political game over control of the agenda for the presidential election next year. Uri Party chairman Kim Geun-tae and former chairman Chung Dong-young in an emergency meeting on Thursday agreed to create a new party, to be called the People�s Party. In a thinly veiled warning to President Roh to keep his hands off, the two said it will be �autonomous and independent from outside political influence.� That finalizes the two ex-Cabinet minister�s break with their former boss.
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A clash between supporters of the president and followers of Kim and Chung, the largest faction in the party, seems inevitable. In a letter to Uri Party members on Dec. 4, Roh opposed the creation of the new party, which he accused of being �regionally based� -- a dire failing in the eyes of a man who made overcoming �regionalism� a top priority. On Thursday, Cheong Wa Dae made it clear once again that it does not want to see the ruling party return to regional base and that the party identity should be maintained. It added the fate of Uri and creation of a new party should be determined at the party�s national convention.

But the rebels reject any intervention by the president. According to Uri Party spokesman Woo Sang-ho, by calling for an autonomous and independent party, the group made it clear that it would be inappropriate for outside political forces, including the president, to comment and cause �unnecessary misunderstanding.� Kim and Chung in the text of their agreement said people �despair� of the ruling party and vowed to join hands with �peaceful, reformative and future-oriented forces.� However, they promised to faithfully support the administration for the success of the government during Roh�s remaining tenure. In response, lawmaker Lee Hwa-young, a Roh loyalist, blamed Kim and Chung for the failure of the ruling party, urging them to quit the party if they don�t want to stay with it.

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Does anyone understand this aspect of Korean politics? None of my friends has ever been able to explain why it's a good use of time to split off from one party, think up a new name, then recruit the same old people to join up?

[Rteacher]

I think that it's in the spirit of a retailer, having lost customer support, filing bankruptcy, advertising a big GOING OUT OF BUSINESS SALE, then reappearing as the same business a short time later under a new name.

They're somehow hopeful of attracting new customers - but know that in any case they can always do another business reorganization to clear their (political) debts ...

(or something like that ... )

[jinju]

The People's Party. Sounds like a bunch of stinking commies. Oh wait, thats what they are.

Why the split? They are despised so much that they need to shed the Uri label. Its basically a bunch of spoiled kids refusing to accept responsibility hoping the new name will not be associated with the hated Uri party.

[Ya-ta Boy]

[Octavius Hite]

Nothing unusual at all here. Korean political parties have the shelf life of dog meat. Uri itself was a creation of Roh and others when they left another party in 2003 (I think, something like that). The whole history of their democracy, circa 1989ish, is of people creating new parties. Watch when the GNP picks that wicked witch Park (daughter of a former dictator, wtf????) to run for Prez the Seoul mayor guy and the others will all jump ship and create new parties for themselves.

Jinju, take your Xanax man and make sure to check under your bed for commies!

[On the other hand]

[Milwaukiedave]

OH,

We're all commies in the eyes of some twisted people.