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Moon’s return fuels friction in main opposition party
By Korea HeraldPublished : June 17, 2013 - 20:20
A new power struggle is apparently brewing in the main opposition Democratic Party with former presidential candidate Rep. Moon Jae-in resuming political activities in a potential challenge for the leadership seized by a rival faction.
Moon has stayed mostly on the sidelines since his defeat in the Dec. 19 election. However, Moon broke his silence on Sunday to criticize DP chairman Rep. Kim Han-gil’s reform plans.
On Sunday, Moon told reporters that the efficacy of DP chairman Rep. Kim Han-gil’s plans to reform the party by becoming more “member-centric” would be limited due to the composition of the party’s members.
On Friday, Kim announced that the number of party officials would be reduced to below that allowed by the Political Party Act as part of the DP’s efforts to decentralize and become a “grassroots party.”
Kim also said that policy-related functions of the DP’s provincial branches would be strengthened and that the powers held by the party’s leadership would be relinquished to party members.
As part of the plans, the DP also plans to close its headquarters in Yeongdeungpo, and replace them with a much smaller facility in Yeouido in August.
“As members of our party only number in the tens of thousands, and because there is a regional skew, there is a high risk of becoming removed from the will of the general public if (the DP) becomes member-centric now,” Moon told reporters on Sunday.
“First, the composition of party members needs to become more open. That is the prerequisite (for becoming more member-centric).”
In response, Kim defended his plans, implying that Moon did not fully understand the reform measures unveiled Friday.
“In reforming the party, decentralization and becoming more open are not options but requirements,” Kim said at Monday’s DP supreme council meeting. He added that decentralization of the party would not lead to it becoming more exclusive, and stressed that the power of nominating candidates for regional and parliamentary elections would also be given over to the party members.
In addition to the DP’s reform plans, Moon also commented on developments surrounding the investigation into the National Intelligence Service’s interference in last year’s election.
The NIS is alleged to have attempted to influence public opinion against Moon using online comments, and former NIS chief Won Sei-hoon and former Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency head Kim Yong-pan have been indicted for violating the Public Official Election Act.
While saying that President Park Geun-hye needed to take responsibility for the developments, Moon said that it was undesirable to call on her to personally take responsibility.
“If the president orders the issue to be thoroughly investigated and deals with it sternly, and uses that as the opportunity to make the NIS and the police upright, I think that would be fulfilling her responsibilities,” Moon said.
By Choi He-suk (cheesuk@heraldcorp.com)
Moon has stayed mostly on the sidelines since his defeat in the Dec. 19 election. However, Moon broke his silence on Sunday to criticize DP chairman Rep. Kim Han-gil’s reform plans.
On Sunday, Moon told reporters that the efficacy of DP chairman Rep. Kim Han-gil’s plans to reform the party by becoming more “member-centric” would be limited due to the composition of the party’s members.
On Friday, Kim announced that the number of party officials would be reduced to below that allowed by the Political Party Act as part of the DP’s efforts to decentralize and become a “grassroots party.”
Kim also said that policy-related functions of the DP’s provincial branches would be strengthened and that the powers held by the party’s leadership would be relinquished to party members.
As part of the plans, the DP also plans to close its headquarters in Yeongdeungpo, and replace them with a much smaller facility in Yeouido in August.
“As members of our party only number in the tens of thousands, and because there is a regional skew, there is a high risk of becoming removed from the will of the general public if (the DP) becomes member-centric now,” Moon told reporters on Sunday.
“First, the composition of party members needs to become more open. That is the prerequisite (for becoming more member-centric).”
In response, Kim defended his plans, implying that Moon did not fully understand the reform measures unveiled Friday.
“In reforming the party, decentralization and becoming more open are not options but requirements,” Kim said at Monday’s DP supreme council meeting. He added that decentralization of the party would not lead to it becoming more exclusive, and stressed that the power of nominating candidates for regional and parliamentary elections would also be given over to the party members.
In addition to the DP’s reform plans, Moon also commented on developments surrounding the investigation into the National Intelligence Service’s interference in last year’s election.
The NIS is alleged to have attempted to influence public opinion against Moon using online comments, and former NIS chief Won Sei-hoon and former Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency head Kim Yong-pan have been indicted for violating the Public Official Election Act.
While saying that President Park Geun-hye needed to take responsibility for the developments, Moon said that it was undesirable to call on her to personally take responsibility.
“If the president orders the issue to be thoroughly investigated and deals with it sternly, and uses that as the opportunity to make the NIS and the police upright, I think that would be fulfilling her responsibilities,” Moon said.
By Choi He-suk (cheesuk@heraldcorp.com)
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Articles by Korea Herald
