GNP Presidential Candidate to Be Selected August 21

The primary election of Grand National Party (GNP) will rest on the votes of 237,000 electors on August 21.

The arbitration proposal by GNP chairman Kang Jae-seop seemed to be agreeable to former Seoul mayor Lee Myung-bak and former GNP chairwoman Park Geun-hye, who have been confronting each other with the timing and method of the primary.

The arbitration proposal suggests that 237,000 primary electors, or 0.5% of national voters, elect the GNP presidential candidate before August 21, 120 days ahead of the Presidential election, and have a hearing by establishing the verification committee. The arbitration was made after compromising the ideas of the two major presidential hopefuls: Lee’s ‘Expansion of Primary Electors in July’ and Park’s ‘Primary Election in June (based on the existing regulation) or September.’

At a press conference at the Gangwon provincial office in Chuncheon, Lee stated “I’ll entrust the party leadership with the decision-making on the primary’s timing and method. I hope all candidates participate in the primary election.”

In the meantime, Park talked to reporters at the GNP office in Ulsan, saying, “GNP leader Kang told me over the phone that the primary election should take place around August 20 and should include some 200,000 electors, given the selection progress of the ruling party-related presidential candidate and the schedule of the regular session of the National Assembly, and she responded that she would accept the plan if party members agreed on it.”

Therefore, the GNP will start its provincial primary election nationwide on July 20 at the latest after amending its primary-related constitution and regulation at the national committee.

Aides of another strong GNP presidential hopeful, Sohn Hak-gyu, former Gyeonggi governor, said that they have nothing to add since Sohn has already announced his opinion for the rules of the primary election, and that he is currently contemplating his next move in silence.

taylor55@donga.com