Kim Jong-hoon, Seoul’s chief negotiator during the free trade talks with the United States, may face off against Chung Dong-young, one of his most vocal critics, in a Seoul constituency for the upcoming parliamentary election.

“If the Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement becomes a key election issue, we may think of setting up Kim to fight against Chung in the Gangnam-ul constituency, because the two stand poles apart on the issue,” an official at the ruling Saenuri Party said.

Chung, a veteran politician of the liberal opposition Democratic United Party, has publicly announced his intent to contest the Gangnam seat, considered a stronghold of the conservative Saenuri.

Kim, if he decides to run in the constituency, would face tough competition within the Saenuri to win its ticket. Huh Joon-young, former chief of the National Police Agency and Chung Tong-ki, former aide to President Lee Myung-bak, are among his potential contenders. 

Still, the possibility of the Kim-Chung duel is drawing keen interest from media and political circles for its symbolic meaning on what is shaping up to be a key election issue.

The Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement, although it is expected to go into effect later this month, is still a highly controversial issue in Korea.

The DUP has vowed to repeal the deal, once it wins the election.

The National Assembly ratified the agreement in November in a snap vote which saw only members of the ruling party and its conservative allies participating.

DUP lawmakers boycotted the ballot, crying foul over the conservative party’s exploitation of its majority status to pass the controversial deal, which will tear down tariff and trade barriers between the two economies.

Park Geun-hye, Saenuri’s interim chief and prohibitive presidential favorite, on Monday lashed at the DUP for its reversal of position on the pact.

“(Under the previous liberal administration in which the DUP was the ruling party,) they had campaigned for the Korea-U.S. FTA. Now on the opposition side, they wants to scrap it,” she was quoted as saying by the party’s spokesperson Rep. Hwang Young-chul.

The Korea-U.S. FTA was signed in 2007 under the previous liberal rule of President Roh Moo-hyun and his Uri Party, the DUP’s precursor.

The current administration of conservative President Lee Myung-bak led a renegotiation of the deal in 2010 at the U.S.’ request.

The DUP claims that the balance of interest swung in favor of the U.S. during the renegotiation.

By Lee Sun-young (milaya@heraldcorp.com)