Park pledges to conclude at least one issue in each council meeting


The ruling Grand National Party’s emergency leadership council vowed to come up with tangible renewal plans every week, starting with action on a cyber attack that has shaken the party.

Rep. Park Geun-hye, chairperson of the council and presidential hopeful, said that she would conclude at least one of the party’s urgent issues in each Monday council meeting, one of her close aides said.

The interim leader showed her determination to break away from the party’s formalities, to achieve fundamental renewal and dispel skepticism that the council is a mere gesture.

Park and the 10 members of the newly formed council, in their initial meeting on Tuesday, immediately resolved to form a special civic committee to clear the people’s doubts over the ongoing cyber attack allegations.

“The so-called DDoS case should be thoroughly investigated and for this, Rep. Choi Gu-sik should break away from the party,” said Rep. Hwang Young-cheul, the party’s new spokesperson. “Should he be proven innocent of the given charges, he may resume his post.”

The prosecution earlier arrested a former assistant to Choi for plotting a cyber attack on the National Election Commission’s webpage during the Oct. 26 by-elections. The right-wing party was further shook as investigators concluded that the attack was an organized crime possibly involving higher-up figures.

The council also suggested that lawmakers give up their privilege of exemption from arrest in an attempt to shake off all possible irregularity allegations by letting the prosecution question them if needed.

The series of bold measures taken up by the panel was in contrast to earlier speculation that the initial meeting would be an ice-breaking get-together.

The former chairwoman said that the party should take preemptive actions in order to overcome its crisis shown in recent election defeats, according to party officials.

“The very fact that the party’s Supreme Council has been substituted by an emergency council consisting of non-party experts indicates an unprecedented political crisis,” said Lee Sang-don, law professor and member of the council.

“We do not plan on wasting time on formalities and will take big leaps to achieve fundamental renewal.”

The provisional decision-making body is to work in four major sections ― renewing the party’s nomination system, formulating new policies, fostering communication with the voters and developing human resources.

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