Kim Jung-Kwon Sensation, Party vs. Cheong Conflict Seems Spreading

Kim Jung-Kwon, chairman of the Millennium Democratic Party (MDP) who has reportedly been conflicting with the secretaries in the Cheong Wa Da (CWD) over whether he will run for the reelection (Oct. 25) in Guro Ul, did not attend an expanded leader meeting yesterday morning saying, ``I’m going to see a doctor due to my bad health condition.``

Earlier on 26th, during a dinner with policy committee chairman Lee Hae-Chan, spokesperson Jeon Yong-Hak, chief secretary for the chairman Lee Ho-Woong, chairman Kim reportedly said, ``I will not cling to the chairman position.`` blaming strongly the CWD secretaries` intervention on the party`s affairs.

As criticism on his behavior spread, chairman Kim attended a dinner meeting held yesterday evening at the CWD for the leaders of the MDP, the United Liberal Democrats (ULD), and the Democratic People`s Party (DPP) and their spouses.

However, it is forecasted that, as long as the old feud between the leaders of the MDP and the CWD secretaries over the reelection candidate selection and the reform controversy on the party management is not resolved, the discord between the party and the CWD seems to continue.

A close aid for chairman Kim said, ``Chairman Kim is upset due to some CWD secretaries continuous slandering words of `Chairman Kim is playing a game with the press over the Seoul Kuro Ul reelection candidacy issue`.``

Meanwhile, officials of the CWD denied by saying, ``There is no conflict over the issue of chairman Kim`s run for the Seoul Kuro Ul reelection. It is just a communication problem between the party and the CWD.``

The MDR formed yesterday a candidate screening committee under the chairmanship of the party`s standing advisor Kim Young-Bae for the Kuro Ul and Tongdaemun Ul reelection.

Secretary general Park Sang-Gyu remarked, ``We will select candidates who has high possibility of winning based on an accurate, fair, and reliable survey result.``

In the meantime, at the CWD dinner, President Kim Dae-Jung emphasized unity of the party and mutual aid among the three policy coalition parties (the MDP, the ULD, and the DPP).

Kim Chang-Hyuk chang@donga.com