Possible Mass Exodus to Maximize Effectiveness of New Party

“Isn’t former floor leader Kim Han-gil indebted to President Roh?”

Former Floor leader Kim Han-gil has received great attention in the Uri Party, which has been rattled by the withdrawal of a number of groups from the party.

Although five lawmakers, including Yeom Dong-yeon, deserted the governing party until January 30, a political ripple effect was not significant.

A perspective that a large-scale defection is needed has been spread in order to maximize the effectiveness of the withdrawals, with senior lawmaker Kim Han-gil at the center of the movement.

The former Uri floor leader is seen as the right man for the new party, which will be formed as an anti-Grand National Party and No-Roh Moo-hyun body. Unlike former minister Chung Dong-young, Kim is not politically indebted to President Roh, nor classified as a Presidential candidate, but does have political sense.

20 or 30 legislators, including Kim, are expected to simultaneously resign their party membership. Noh Woong-rae, Choi Yong-kyu, Ju Seung-yong, Cho Il-hyun and Jang Kyung-soo, who once formed a parliamentary negotiation bloc, are also about to join the movement.

Kang Bong-kyun, former chief of the policy planning committee, is said to have discussed defection with ex-government official lawmakers such as Byun Je-il and Woo Je-chang.

Moreover, the middle-of-the roaders and legislators with Honam (Southwestern part of Korea) origin are likely to stand aside with the movement.

Lawmakers claiming a new party have argued that as long as the Feb.14 general convention does not have any effect on disbanding the party, a new party will be meaningless. In this regard, they have planed on endorsing a new party through forming the third parliamentary negotiation bloc by a mass exodus and allying with a strong presidential candidate.

The former chief of the Policy Planning Committee Kang said, “an effort to bring new lawmakers into the new party should be handled outside of the Uri Party. He added that one who sees himself as a presidential candidate should not join the new party at the first phase, and should only enter when the party recruits candidates who are prepared to relinquish their vested rights.

leon@donga.com