The main opposition Democratic United Party’s new chairperson Han Myeong-sook once again challenged the current administration by appointing new liberal figures to the party’s key posts.

Her selection included a disputed former lawmaker who was found guilty in a bribery trial involving one of the bankrupt savings banks.

The party’s Supreme Council, in its meeting in Gwangju on Thursday, unveiled as its spokesperson Shin Kyung-min, former anchor of the local broadcaster MBC.

The 58-year-old journalist-turned-professor has long been eyed by the liberal camp for his biting remarks against the Lee Myung-bak government and his public influence in the SNS realm.

Shin joined MBC in 1981 and worked as international correspondent, editor-in-chief and editorial writer before taking over as anchor of News Desk in 2008.

“I consented to the offer, considering the difficulties which the party is currently undergoing,” Shin said.

The party also appointed on the previous day former Democratic Party lawmaker Im Jong-seok as secretary-general, and Reps. Lee Yong-sub and Hong Young-pyo as policy committee chairman and chairperson’s secretary.

Im’s appointment was considered an especially bold move as he failed to join the parliament in the last general election and is also facing bribery charges.

A lower court last month sentenced him to a suspended term of six month for taking 104.4 million won ($92,000) from the now-bankrupt Samhwa Savings Bank in the past.

Should this sentence be confirmed by the Supreme Court, Im is to be banned from entering electoral candidacy for the next 10 years.

Concerns were thus raised from within that he may be unfit for the party’s secretary-general, a key post in charge of the working-level processes of the upcoming general elections.

“Im’s appointment may offer the ruling Grand National Party a pretext to get away with their irregularity charges,” said a party member.

The left wing has recently stepped up its censure over the cyber attack involving GNP lawmaker Choi Gu-sik and the vote-buying scandal of parliamentary speaker Park Hee-tae.

Han, however, decided to issue a challenge to the current powers by placing full confidence in Im despite the prosecutorial probe and the court ruling.

“Im was a political scapegoat for ruling party members,” said the party’s spokesperson.

The 46-year-old official also claimed that the court was politically biased, pointing out that it acquitted Han Sang-ryule, former head of the National Tax Service.

Han faced similar bribery allegations and was recently acquitted by an appellate court of the charges, which partly contributed to her victory in the leadership election.

“Im is also a new, innovative figure who can lead the party in the right direction during the candidate nomination and the election processes,” the spokesman said.

By Bae Hyun-jung
(tellme@heraldcorp.com)