[opinion] Bubbles of party names

“We courteously suggest changing the name from Uri party to a “flip party” which is flip on every details.” This is a comment made by Grand National Party when Uri Party denounced the former GNP’s head Park Geun-hye’s 3 level unification process last month.

“How about changing the party name to “Real estate Party” rather than Grand National Party if you favor land so much?” Uri party denounced GNP by making free with the name of the party when their revised bill for residence law did not pass in the assembly due to the GNP’s opposition. As party names are far from being ordinary, it is just perfect for political gag items.

The name Uri party was given its name after the new intra-party’s decision. If the party values pursue openness, participation, and integration, it will be suited perfectly to the name. However the truth was different. The name “Grand National Party” has been given name by the then Democratic party leader Cho Soon when New Korea Party and Democratic Party merged together in November, 1997. The name reportedly has meanings of “big, unity and pure”, however, due to the conflict among the presidential hopefuls within the party, we cannot tell when the party will split up in two. Also the party has yet to shed the party’s “impure” corruption prone image.

The name of a party may referred to a “beautiful bubble” which features the party’s vision and its goals. It is not a bad idea to forestall a rival by featuring the disadvantage of the party as the party’s name. Democratic Justice Party with the head Chun Doo-whan with its name was established through an extremely undemocratic and not righteous procedure in 1981. Kim Dae-jung (DJ), established National Congress for New Politics, which New Millennium Democratic Party inherits from. However, Kim’s hereditary customs of localism politics and Democratic party’s loyalty toward DJ seems more like old politics and old millennium.

Uri party’s splinter group originally planned to register its official name as “Integrated New Party with moderate and Reformist forces”, short as “Integrated New Party”, however it belatedly found out that this abbreviation cannot be used because “Integrated Centrist Party” with pastor Choi Dong-rim serving as the leader, already registered its abbreviated name as “Integrated New Party”. It is doubtful whether the party will pursue “moderate”, “Reform”, “Integration”, but what is more comic is that they cannot put their mind at rest merely because of a party name which is going to be disappeared later anyway.