The Reason Why the Opposition and Ruling Party Chairs Have the Same “Chairman”

"Is it just a coincidence?"

The Office of Presidential Security has changed the presidential car from a Mercedes Benz to a bulletproof BMW 760Li. Around the same time, Rep. Mun Hee-sang, the leader of the Uri Party, and Park Geun-hye, the chairperson of the Grand National Party (GNP), changed their cars. Not long ago, Rep. Park traded her SM 520V for a black Chairman. She “upgraded” her car from a midsize one to a larger one.

On April 29, the last day of the campaign for the by-elections on April 30, Park rode in her new Chairman for the first time from Seoul to Yeongcheon in North Gyeongsang Province. The SM 520V was a car given to her by the Jeongsu Scholarship Foundation for business use when she presided over the foundation as chair. Afterwards, Park had to return the car because she resigned from her post at the foundation. It is reported that the car has had problems. Visiting six places on the campaign trail without stopping midway, the car had an engine problem. In winter, the heater did not work well.

Moon of the Uri Party also chose the same 3,000cc black Chairman that Park uses. Last month, he was involved in a car accident while riding between campaigning places for his party. Moon got his car scrapped and bought the same model. Usually, people avoid purchasing the same model after an accident. But Moon decided to drive the same car again because he reportedly believes, “I wasn’t badly injured in that accident thanks to the car.”

Park and Moon’s Chairman costs 51,530,000 to 58,290,000 won.

Rep. Kim Hye-kyeong, the leader of Democratic Labor Party, owns a 2001 EF Sonata, and Rep. Han Hwa-gap, the chairman of the Millennium Democratic Party, owns the same Chairman 3000 that Moon and Park have.

Jung-Eun Lee lightee@donga.com