Lee Myung-bak’s Camp Embraces Pro-Park Lawmakers

The election camp of Lee Myung-bak, the Grand National Party’s presidential candidate, began efforts to embrace those who worked for Park Geun-hye, Lee’s archrival in the primary.

Lee Jae-oh, a leading GNP lawmaker close to Lee, abruptly visited Kim Moo-seong, who generally managed Park’s camp, at Kim’s office yesterday morning.

Lee Jae-oh stirred up some controversy shortly after the primary by saying that Park should “reflect on” what she did. He said to Kim, “There have been a lot of concerns on our minds. Now, it’s time to bury the hatchet and unite so that our party can take the presidential office.” In response, Kim reportedly said, “We need unity to win the presidential election.”

That day, lawmaker Lee visited in turn the offices of 44 lawmakers who helped Park in the primary. He met with some 20 lawmakers, including pro-Park representatives such as Lee Hae-bong, Kim Yong-kap, Park Jong-geun, Kim Byeong-ho, Seo Byeong-soo, Kim Seong-jo, Joo Seong-yeong, Shim Jae-yeop and Park Se-hwan, and Maeng Hyeong-gyu who is leading a group that emphasizes unity in the party.

Lee explained in a telephone interview: “I visited them with the wholehearted wish to forget about the past and unite as one, since it’s been 15 days after the primary.”

However, some “pro-Park” representatives who do not have favorable feelings toward Lee said that it was “perplexing” or seemed like a “political stunt.”

Vice Speaker of the National Assembly Lee Sang-deuk, who is also Lee Myung-bak’s brother, had a luncheon meeting with lawmakers from Daegu in Yeouido that day. Out of the nine representatives who attended, six were pro-Lee Myung-bak (Kang Jae-seop whose constituency is Daegu, Head of policy committee Lee Han-gu, Joo Ho-yeong at candidate Lee’s secretary’s office, Ahn Taek-soo, Kim Seok-joon, and Lee Myeong-gyu) and three are pro-Park (Lee Hae-bong, Park Jong-geun, and Kwak Seong-moon). Former Chairwoman Park Geun-hye and lawmakers Yoo Seong-min and Joo Seong-yeong, all of them from Daegu, did not participate.

At the luncheon, pro-Park lawmaker Park Jong-geun said, “Winners should embrace losers.” Lee Hae-bong also said, “It is hard to win the presidential election without the help of former Chairwoman Park. If she feels that she will be exploited without reward, she won’t want to help. We need a mechanism that separates the power in the party and the power as a president.”

Ahn Taek-soo responded by saying, “It’s like a quarrel between a married couple, but there seems to be a sense of being victimized (among pro-Park lawmakers),” making the atmosphere awkward.

Then, Vice Speaker Lee said, “Don’t mind careless words by a few people. A former businessman wins the help of whomever he needs by all means, even by begging and pleading if necessary. He will never take an exclusive attitude,” softening the atmosphere.

Meanwhile, asked about a possible meeting with his former rival Park, candidate Lee briefly answered: “We are the same party. We’ll meet. There’s no problem.”

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