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.
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\r\n“If the Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement becomes a key election issue, we may think of setting up Kim to fight against Rep. Chung in the Gangnam-ul constituency, because the two stand poles apart on the issue,” an official at the ruling Saenuri Party said.
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\r\nRep. Chung, a veteran politician of the liberal opposition Democratic United Party, has publicly announced his intention to contest the Gangnam seat, which is considered a stronghold of the conservative Saenuri.
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\r\nKim, 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.
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\r\nYet, 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.
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\r\nThe 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.
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\r\nThe DUP vows to repeal the deal, once it wins the election.
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\r\nThe National Assembly ratified the agreement in November, last year in a snap vote which saw only members of the then-named Grand National Party and its conservative allies participating.
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\r\nDUP 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.
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\r\nPark Geun-hye, Saenuri’s interim chief and prohibitive presidential favorite, on Monday lashed at the DUP for its reversal of position on the pact.
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\r\n“(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.
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\r\nThe 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.
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\r\nThe current administration of conservative President Lee Myung-bak led a renegotiation of the deal in 2010 at the U.S.’ request.
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\r\nThe DUP claims that the balance of interest swung in favor of the U.S. during the renegotiation.

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