Prosecution and Total Reform Through Examples of the Pro-Roh Group

In early 2003, a confidential document named “a proposition for the party reform program” made by heads of the party in power just before president Roh Moo-hyun’s inauguration strained the political world.

This is because the document contained shocking statements such as “a finishing touch for the political circles is a total change in the 2004 general election,” and “we should concentrate on a change of the political circles’ basic framework.” One year since then, such a total “change” of Korean political circles is proceeding as this document announced.

-An Intention of the Party in Power

Roh emphasized his will to reform, comparing the political world to fourth grade water in the “Remember 1219,” an event for the first year anniversary of the presidential election victory, by saying, “We even cannot use fourth grade water for bathing. We will get a skin disease. That’s a serious thing.”

In fact, it was due to Roh’s will to reform that he created the Uri party in the face of condemnations of party splitting. Most of the political circles analyze that “general election all-in” that elected lawmakers came up with can be changed through a general election, whereas appointed public officials could be replaced through a “destruction of the existing ranking system” and “promotion by selection.”

-Prosecution and Civic Groups as Two Axes of reform?

It was last September when the prosecution banned lawmaker Choi Don-woong of the Grand National party (GNP) from leaving the country under suspicion of illegal fund-raising for the presidential election campaign. Even though about five months have already passed since then, political circles are bracing themselves more and more as “exit investigations” to know where money has gone became full scale.

Although it is not clear whether the will of Cheong Wa Dae worked as a “invisible hand” in the investigation by the prosecution as before or not, it is not deniable that the investigation itself became a triggering device for personnel liquidation as well as dismantlement of the old-fashioned order.

In addition, civic groups are pressing the political world by an application failure for the nomination campaign. The “2004 General Election Citizen’s Coalition” announced as many as 109 people as their target of the campaign. Its pros and cons came under notice in a sense that only listing a name could be a fatal blow.

-Numerous Deaths

Around 20 lawmakers have already been arrested or become objects of investigation, and more than 30 current lawmakers have given up their candidacies, half by their will and half by another intention. Those whose political lives are at risk are coincidentally those who led the “Ancien Regime.” In the case of the GNP, Lee Hoi-chang’s group suffered form a heavy frost. All representatives of Suh Chung-won, Kim Young-iel, Choi Don-woong and Shin Kyung-shik belonged to pro-Lee group and led the presidential race last year.

Members of the Candidate Unification Council, who belonged to an anti-Roh grouping in the 2002 presidential election and moved to the GNP or the Uri party, suffered as well. Most of the central figures of Kim Dae-jung’s government were arrested due to personal corruption and an illicit remittance to North Korea. Even Rep. Hahn Hwa-kap is on an investigation list on a charge of illegal fund-raising for a presidential candidate election. Rhee In-je, once a rival of president Roh, is under investigation on a charge of receiving 25 million won (about $ 210,000) for his “head-hunting cost” from the GNP. So those who played a leading part in the rivalry period between Kim Dae-jung and Lee Hoi-chang are becoming exposed.

-Rush of a New Force

Men from the People’s Party for Reform such as Rep. Rhyu Si-min, who entered the Uri party, play a pivotal role, showing strong cohesion. They have already emerged as “enfants terribles,” supporting a reform group in a course of an Uri party convention, an election for central members of a committee and each local election.

President Roh’s outer group, centering on “People’s Participation 0415,” is also a powerful force to drive for personnel liquidation and the change of generations in the political world. The established political circles, which were accustomed to “politics focused on a supplier,” are forced to change favorable grass-root demanders.

-“Total Reform” and Beyond?

With dismantlement and liquidation for the “post-Kim period,” a rivalry period among Kim Dae-jung, Kim Young-sam and Kim Jong-pil, a new trend comes up characterized by “image politics” and popularity. However, a consideration for the detailed “contents,” for the substance of the reform is still not found.

Although a new room was made in political circles, a new direction or ideology, specific persons are not viewed clearly. In this sense, a discussion of a total reform is still on the way and the first clearance is expected through the general election on April 15.

Young-Chan Yoon yyc11@donga.com