Park Geun-hye and Chung Mong-joon

Ruling Grand National Party members Park Geun-he and Chung Mong-joon, both of whom once served as head of the party, are the party`s leading candidates for next year’s presidential election along with Gyeonggi Province Gov. Kim Moon-soo. Park was born in 1952 and Chung in 1951, but they both graduated from Jangchung Elementary School in the same year and entered college in 1970. Park is the daughter of a former president and Chung is the son of a business tycoon. They share elements in common but are destined to be rivals who can win only by defeating each other in their quest to become president.

In his memoir, Chung wrote of secret episodes of conflict with Park. After agreeing with North Korean leader Kim Jong Il on an inter-Korean soccer game when she visited the North in May 2002, Park openly demanded that the (South) Korea Football Association chaired by Chung organize the proposed match. When he saw Park at the stadium in September that year, Chung claimed that she expressed anger and appealed to Chung after finding fans holding the South Korean national flag instead of the previously agreed Korean Peninsula flags. Park was also upset over South Korea’s Red Devils cheering squad chanting “Republic of Korea” instead of “unified motherland.” Chung also explained in detail the trouble he had vis-à-vis Park while he was Grand National Party chairman.

At one time, the two rivals did occasionally seek mutual support in politics. In the 2002 presidential election, Chung tried to appoint Park, who had defected from the party, as chairwoman of the Citizens’ Coalition 21, a party Chung had established himself. Park declined, however, over “differences in political identity.” In the 2006 local elections, Park unsuccessfully sought to invite Chung as the Grand National Party’s candidate for Seoul mayor candidate. Following the inauguration of the Lee Myung-bak administration, Park and Chung saw their relations deteriorate further. In most cases Chung would launch an offensive against Park, pro-Park lawmakers would come forward to counterattack. Chung recently downplayed Park’s high approval rating for president, saying, “A politician’s popularity can instantly go up in smoke like steam in a sauna bath.”

Critics call Chung’s attacks on Park a tactic of “noise marketing.” They say he seeks to draw attention by attacking Park, and by targeting his strongest rival, Chung tries to increase his presence. Chung said, “Since all the people have shunned criticizing Park, someone should raise issue with matters that require review to assure the party’s development and its future.” Some have raised concern over the majority view within the ruling camp that support Park’s dominance in the presidential race. But if the two sides continue to attack each other, this could merely benefit the opposition camp.

Editorial Writer Lee Jin-nyong (jinnyong@donga.com)