[Opinion] Kang Kum-sil’s Ambitions

Heroes in myths follow similar paths to be born as heroes. They, who were out of the mainstream at first, overcome adversity, make great achievements, and finally come out as victors after committing patricide through which they deny their own fathers.

There is no doubt that Kang Kum-sil, an Uri Party’s candidate for Seoul City mayor, was a non-mainstreamer in the political circle. She once taunted the political circle, saying, “It is like a comedy.”

Though evaluations of her achievements have been mixed, the process of father-killing is already going on in full swing. “The party is losing favor with the public.” Following this remark that she made when she joined the party, almost everyday, she has voiced criticisms of the Roh Moo-hyun administration’s measures to resolve financial gaps between the southern and northern parts of Seoul, its measures to dissolve social bipolarization, and its media policies. She even said, “I don’t like fighting. I will take different approaches to reforms than President Roh.”

President Roh also committed a similar father-killing when he was a presidential candidate. In early 2002, he said, “I will follow President Kim Dae-jung’s route and ideology if I am elected.” But after the Millennium Democratic Party was defeated in the June 13 local elections that year, he turned away from Kim, saying, “I will criticize what deserves to be criticized.” He even made the remark, “When it comes to the politics, President Kim and I will be different from each other in a significant way.”

Just like that, he presented himself to voters as “A new political leadership that is wholly different from the three Kims.”

Surely, presidential elections and mayoral elections are different. Whether they were part of an election strategy, or not, Roh’s criticisms of the Kim Dae-jung administration were very refreshing and most of them were recognized as not being groundless. How about the remarks of former Justice Minister Kang Kum-sil? If her criticisms are not groundless, the Roh Moo-hyun administration is undoubtedly a failing administration. If that’s the case, I’d like ask her why she kept silent while she served as Justice Minister. On the other hand, if she is simply engaging in “bashing our side in order to win the election,” she is then denigrating her own party and even the president because of her political ambitions.

Even if her criticisms are tactical remarks aimed at winning over minds of voters, there still remain questions. If that’s the case, it should have been for a good reason that a former minister of the Roh administration took issue with the “core code” of President Roh. It’s also odd that the administration which showed such an enraged response to the criticisms coming from the media has been keeping silent on the remarks of Kang these days. President Roh broke away from the Millennium Democratic Party and created the Uri Party in 2004. I wonder if Kang Kum-sil aspires to resemble her master even in this aspect as she makes her bid for the post of Seoul City mayor

Kim Soon-duk, Editorial Writer, yuri@donga.com