Chung Un-chan Ponders Joining Presidential Race

The pan-ruling camp is courting Chung Un-chan, a former president of Seoul National University.

“We met Chung on Saturday and asked him to declare his participation in politics,” Rep. Kim Han-gill, a member of the new political body, dubbed, “the group pursuing an integrated new party,” (GPINP) said on Thursday.

“You must assume a pivotal role in restructuring a new political order. I hope you will work together with us for a grand integration,” Kim told Chung on that day. In response, Chung said, “I am giving the proposal serious consideration. I will carefully review it.”

Breakaway groups like the GPINP and “the group prioritizing people`s livelihood” (GPPL), the Uri Party and some lawmakers of the Democratic Party have been trying to recruit Chung under the table. However, this is the first time a political group has announced efforts to recruit Chung to the public.

“Chung told us that he highly regards the courage and determination of the lawmakers of the GPINP for bolting from the governing party. In particular, he said that their patriotic passion reflects that they deserve to be leaders,” Kim said.

The GPINP had already delivered a message that suggested he join their group before they had the meeting, a lawmaker of the GPINP said.

“The two agreed to meet once again. But Chung seems to have changed his mind after watching an MBC report that suggested Chung had virtually decided to run in the upcoming presidential elections on Tuesday,” one of Kim’s aides said.

However, Chung said during a telephone interview with Dong-A Ilbo that, “Although I told Kim that I felt negatively about it, I asked him to give me a couple of days to think about it.”

The so-called, “group to bring in Chung,” consisting of Rep. Kim Jong-in, who is close to Chung, Rep. Lee Kye-ahn of the GPPL, and Rep. Park Young-sun of the Uri Party, has drawn up a plan in which Chung would announce his decision to participate in politics after May when the direction of an integrated new party takes shape and the presidential candidate of the Grand National Party is virtually determined.

In this regard, Kim made a phone call to the MBC reporter who reported that Chung was planning to make a crucial decision sometime in March, and told him, “Are you trying to kill Chung?”

Meanwhile, Chung said that he would not participate in politics before June.

Chung said on Wednesday at his first lecture at Seoul National University that he might not be able to lecture next semester, but that he’ll be definitely lecturing this semester.

In fact, as Chung is not denying his willingness to participate in politics, some analysts say that Chung may change his mind depending on the speed of the establishment of the pan-ruling bloc.

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