Ex-Advisor, Roh Foe Could Get Uri Post

The personnel board with a job to select members of the Uri Party’s interim leadership committee is reported to tentatively agree with contingency plan that includes Kim Geun-tae as a head of the committee after a meeting in the national assembly yesterday.

The interim emergency committee consists of 15 members, including seven permanent members and eight non-permanent members, and is commissioned comprehensively for the supreme committee of the Uri Party with contingency power, including the right to revise rules of the party and the right of personnel management. It will serve as a primary decision maker by the beginning of the next year.

Kim, former supreme adviser of the ruling party, faces not only the biggest lifetime challenge ever, but also a great opportunity for his political career as he is endowed with more power than the chairman of the party. He has been so far labeled as lifetime number two, under the shadow of Chung Dong-young.

He can take advantage by pre-occupying a presidential ticket slot if he succeeds in steadying the ship stuck by the party’s crushing election defeat. Nevertheless, some say he will play a break-even game at best. Moreover, cynics are skeptical in that he is too indecisive and too cautious to manage risks.

Can he ease inter-circle conflicts?-

It is the fourth contingency committee since the creation of the Uri Party in November 2003.

Kim declares that the top priority is to clarify the cause of the failure in the local elections, and he plans to preside over a workshop over the issue with all Uri lawmakers attending. He will reportedly review the scheme of major government policies, such as real estate policy and tax policy.

In the process, if hard stance lawmakers raise opposition to moves of the contingency power, the subsumed inner party conflicts would possibly emerge again. As for the hotly contested real estate policy alone, two different alternatives are suggested: one brands it too radical and left prone, whereas others urge a more thorough implementation of the policy.

Some conservatives remain unfriendly with Kim because they see him as more of a left-winger.

Can he balance with President Roh?-

Kim, the newly named captain of the emergency ship, has not gone along with Roh, unlike Chung, the former chairman of the Uri Party.

He took a harsh stance in publicizing the apartment construction price issue when he was the minister of Health and Welfare, calling on Roh to reciprocate regardless of rank in the administration in dealing with this matter.

Concerning controversial issues such as real estate tax policy, national pension reform, the Korea-U.S. FTA and socio-economic polarization, discord is likely between the Roh administration and the ruling party at a time when the September regular session of the assembly is approaching.

Can he take the lead in political reforms?-

The recent hot potato is to restructure political landscape. Kim Geun-tae is told to prepare for the new power scheme by setting up a special sub-committee under the emergency committee.

At the primary early this year, he urged to form a coalition with Goh Kun, former Prime Minister, and Kang Kum-sil, ex-minister of the justice. He says ambitiously, “I will engage the talented after bringing the party back to a stable level.”

The ex-prime minister Goh is a promising president hopeful now, and appears to be signaling for the setup of “the solidarity of the people’s hope of Korea” scheduled in July. In this regard, some are concerned that Kim will play no significant role in the reform.

Kim Han-gill, floor leader of the Uri Party, Moon Hee-sang, ex-chairman of the ruling party, and Lee Mi-gyeong, representative for female lawmakers, were also appointed as permanent members of the committee as foreseen. Still, the personnel board was strongly divided over the appointment of the other members in the end.

Dong-Yong Min jin0619@donga.com mindy@donga.com