Tension Rising Between Roh, Uri Party

A majority of Uri party members who want to form a new party have raised the issue in public recently, intensifying their conflict with Cheong Wa Dae.

Kim Geun-tae, the governing Uri Party chairman, said yesterday, “The debate over the new party issue is aimed to reunite all the peace hopefuls. I feel humiliated whenever he reduces our attempt to a revival of regionalism,” openly debunking what President Roh said yesterday. Roh said on November 30 that the so-called ‘new united party’ (which the majority of Uri partisans are trying to create) is only a peripheral regional party.

“We should remember what Roh said last year. Proclaiming a grand coalition, Roh said that he would not care even if he had to hand over the power to the Grand National Party. His remark made Korean citizens feel mortified and left our supporters at odds,” Kim said in a staff meeting held in the National Assembly on the same day. The Uri chairman rebuked Roh’s remarks opposing the creation of the new united party as a revival of his “grand coalition” idea.

As tensions are mounting between Cheong Wa Dae and pro-Roh lawmakers, and anti-Roh new party advocates, observers say the two groups are on a collision course for separation.

yongari@donga.com