Lawmakers Denied Party Nominations Respond

Snubbed lawmakers are finding their own way to survive. While some have joined different parties and others say they will return, there are those who have quietly accepted their fate.

○ Switching parties

Some pro-Park Geun-hye lawmakers, including Suh Chung-won, former Grand National Party chairman, joined the Future Korea Party. Lee Q-taek and Eom Ho-seong have already joined the Future Korea Party. Meanwhile, former Park chief campaigner Hong Sa-duk, Lee Kang-doo, Jeon Yong-won, and Ham Seung-hee will also reportedly join the new party.

They hope to change the name of the party to Pro-Park Alliance. Suh will run in the Dongjak-gap district. Hong is considering running in Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province, where he lost in the re-election held there in October 2005, or in a Gangnam district.

The reason pro-Park lawmakers, who plan to run in the Seoul metropolitan area, have decided to use the name Pro-Park Alliance is that independent candidates have a slim chance of being elected in the national capital region.

Rep. Lee Sang-min, who was denied a nomination in the United Democratic Party, reportedly joined the Liberty Forward Party on Mar. 19 to run in Yuseong, Daejeon.

Lee Yong-hee, the vice speaker of the National Assembly, will also join the party to run in Okcheon-Boeun-Yeongdong in North Chungcheong Province.

Ko Jin-hwa (Yeongdeungpo-gap), a GNP lawmaker, is considering joining the Creative Korea Party after losing to Jeon Yeo-ok for the GNP nomination.

○ Running independently

Rep. Kim Moo-sung decided not to join the alliance as he plans to run as an independent candidate. He is preparing for the general elections by forming an independent alliance with lawmakers, including Kim Tae-hwan and Lee Yin-gi.

Kim, who resigned from the GNP, said, “If I am elected, I will definitely come back to fix things wrong with the party.”

His choice shows that Kim is dissatisfied with his elimination, but he wants to retain his ideology and identity as a politician.

Rhee In-je (Nonsan-Gyeryong-Geumsan, South Chungcheong Province) withdrew from the UDP for the fifth time as a lawmaker on Mar. 18. He said he plans to run in the elections. Lee Sang-yeol (Mokpo, South Jeolla Province) remained undeterred, saying, “I will definitely run. I will prove the decision to deny me a nomination was wrong by winning the elections.”

A Donggyo-dong insider said, “Park Jie-won, former chief of staff to President Kim Dae Jung, has made up his mind to run. Although he hasn’t publicly announced this decision, Park will certainly run as a candidate in the general elections.”

Kim Hong-up (Muan-Shinan, South Jeolla Province), second son of former President Kim Dae-jung, said, “I may consider running as late as the day before the registration of candidates.” When asked if he will officially declare his candidacy, he refused to answer, saying, “I do not see any need to consult with Mr. Park when making my decision.”

○ Proxy war

Rep. Lee Geun-sik (Songpa-byeong, Seoul) of the UDP has decided to take revenge on his party by helping a GNP candidate. Lee withdrew from his party on Mar. 19 after being denied a nomination. He said, “If I am going to complete current projects in my district, I have to become a member of the ruling party.”

Shin Eun-gyeong will run in Jung-gu, Seoul, representing the Liberty Forward Party. She is GNP lawmaker Park Seong-beom’s wife. Shin decided to run instead of her husband, as Rep. Park failed to receive a nomination from the GNP.

“Under the name ‘strategic nomination,’ the nomination screening committee picked a person who has no connection with Jung-gu,” said Park. “I demanded a re-examination, but it was rejected. Now I’ll be an ordinary civilian who will be helping my wife for the upcoming elections. As of now, I don’t have any political plans such as joining another party except to help my wife as a husband.”

○ Accepting the results

A growing number of GNP lawmakers are accepting the nomination committee’s decision since Rep. Kim Jae-won announced that he would drop his bid.

Lee Seong-gwon (Busanjin-eul, Busan), Lee Jae-woong (Dongnae, Busan), Kim Seok-joon (Dalseo-byeong, Daegu), Kim Yang-soo (Yangsan-byeong, Daegu), Jung Moon-heon (Sokcho-Goseong-Yangyang, Gangwon Province) accepted their elimination and have decided not to run in the upcoming general elections.

Rep. Lee said, “It’s still very hard for me to accept this decision, but I won’t criticize my party. I will continue to do what’s best for the GNP and come back as a better person.”

“I couldn’t understand the committee’s decision at first, but I think this is the current trend. So, I have decided to accept the results.”

UDP lawmaker, Chung Gyun-hwan (Gochang-Buan, North Jeolla Province), accepted the decision of his party’s nomination committee, saying, “The party I helped to unite abandoned me. This is clearly wrong, but I will accept it.”

Shin Jung-sik (Goheung-Boseong, South Jeolla Province) said, “It is very difficult to be elected as an independent candidate in the Jeolla provinces. I will follow the decision of the party.”

jameshuh@donga.com srkim@donga.com