GNP: Demand for Resignation of Choe Rapidly Gains Support

On February 18, the legislator nomination committee of the Grand National Party (GNP) decided against Chairman Choe Byung-yul’s run in the April National Assembly election. GNP stalwarts and first- and second-time lawmakers joined forces in calling for Choe’s resignation. The conflict inside the GNP has become extreme. Choe said he would not run in the elections, but effectively rejected the demand for his resignation.

Since those who began to voice their opposition to Choe on February 18 were the minorities and the stalwarts from the southeastern region who once helped bring him to the GNP chairmanship, the beleaguered leadership of Choe could lead to the split of the party.

Seventeen lawmakers from the Seoul metropolitan area including Rep. Lee Jae-oh and Rep. Nam Kyung-pil, had a meeting in which they demanded: 1) the resignation of Choe as chairman and the formation of an emergency committee; 2) the formation of new leadership at a party convention; and 3) the formation of an election headquarters under the new leadership.

They named their gathering the “party salvation group” and decided to work together with other leading GNP members and lawmakers from the southeastern region.

Rep. Yang Jung-kyu, Rep. Kim Jin-jae, Rep. Yoo Heung Soo and about 20 first-time and multi-time lawmakers of the southeastern region had a luncheon meeting. “Chairman Choe should come up with self-sacrificing measures including his resignation,” they said through Rep. Kim Moo-sung, while they made clear Choe’s resignation would be inevitable.

“Whether I will run or not in the elections will be decided by the nomination committee,” Choe said in a telephone interview with Dong-A. He added, expressing his unwillingness for resignation, “I have to reconsider the demand for my resignation for the sake of the party’s future.”

Choe met with general secretary Hong Sa-duck and other party officials in the evening. Prior to that, Rep. Kim Moon-soo, heading the nomination committee, said in a press conference, “The committee has concluded that Chairman Choe should not run in his Gangnam Kap district so he can commit himself as a foot soldier to the reform of the party as if he were re-founding the party.”

Rep. Kim added, “We concluded that General Secretary Hong should set an example. He should leave his district and run in another district that the party wants him to.”

Standing steering committee member Kim Moo-sung and online committee chairman Chung Tae-hoon resigned from their posts, demanding Choe’s prompt resignation.

Yeon-Wook Jung Myoung-Gun Lee jyw11@donga.com gun43@donga.com