Park Geun-hye Gives Cold Shoulder to GNP Candidate Lee

Former Grand National Party (GNP) leader Park Geun-hye is showing little intent to cooperate with GNP candidate Lee Myung-bak.

Lee’s official presidential campaign starts tomorrow, but she did not confirm any cooperation with it as of yesterday.

Representatives of Lee and Park are negotiating terms for her cooperation, but Park’s camp is reportedly reluctant to give cooperation to Lee any time soon.

Park will probably start campaigning for Lee in the early December.

A close aide to Park confirmed during a phone interview yesterday, “We will wait and see what happens to the ongoing investigation of the BBK stock price manipulation. When things clear up, then Ms. Park will chip in.”

To honor the position of their boss, Park’s factional members have boycotted all functions hosted by Lee. They even failed to accompany Lee on his visit yesterday to the National Cemetery in Seoul, the first official schedule of Lee as a registered presidential candidate.

sunshade@donga.com