MDP Conflict over Exclusion of Old Guard Group

There is an ongoing controversy between the old guard and the new mainstream group in the ruling Millennium Democratic Party. The idea of the latter group excluding key followers of former President Kim Dae-jung from the proposed new reform party was sparked by Lee Gang-cheol, who is close to President Roh, on May 19.

In addition, rival groups of reactionary politicians are pulling together to stand against the reformist factions as the new mainstream group including close followers of Mr. Roh attempts to pass the plans of officially pursuing a new reform party and of holding a national convention for the party’s dismantling at the upcoming executive committee meeting at the end of this month.

The old mainstream group said of the new mainstream`s exclusion list that the creation of a new party was apparently aimed to exclude a certain group of people.

In fact, the pro-Roh new mainstream group is talking about some key followers of former President Kim Dae-jung including Rep. Park Sang-cheon, Chung Kyun-whan, Kim Ok-doo, Choi Myeong-heon, and Yu Yong-tae as well as other senior officials in the party.

It was told that the pro-Roh groups from Busan said they “cannot join the new party with the old guard groups who took the lead in disturbing Mr. Roh in the election last year” at its meeting on May 19.

Regarding this, Chung Kyun-whan, a key figure of the party`s old ruling elites, said that only the public can evaluate politicians based on the democratic procedure and they will strongly respond to the move by some thoughtless followers of President Roh.

The old guard groups of 15 representatives including former MDP Chairman Hahn Hwa-kap, Rep. Chung Kyun-whan, floor leader, Rep. Park Sang-cheon, member of the MDP`s Supreme Council, Rep. Lee Hyup and Jang Jae-sik had a meeting on Sunday evening to block the move by the reform-minded groups. Chung cancelled his visit to the U.S. and Mexico scheduled from May 20 to join the meeting.

Meanwhile, about 300 members of ‘4050 know-how’ consisted of professors, businessmen, and experts who backed President Roh during the election campaign held a meeting in the MDP building in Yeouido on May 20 in the presence of Rep. Chyung Dai-chul, chairman of the MDP, to express their support for the creation of a new party.

Sung-Won Park swpark@donga.com