A person of interest

Around the middle of last year, Lee Hae-chan, the alleged leader of a group loyal to former President Roh Moo-hyun, held talks with opposition figures Han Myeong-sook, Moon Jae-in and Kim Doo-kwan to make an arrangement for this year`s presidential election. Lee is known to have suggested backing Moon as the candidate for the main opposition Democratic United Party for this year`s election and Kim for the 2017 election. Lee reportedly created an atmosphere for the arrangement, saying, “I will lead the election committee for Kim in 2017.” Things did not go as Lee planned, however. Kim began seeking ways to run in this year`s election. The will to power cannot be shared by others.

Moon and Kim have something in common in that they are pro-Roh figures, but differ in the roads they have traveled. Moon, a close confidant of Roh, is classified as mainstream, but Kim, a self-made man who climbed all the way from a town head to a Cabinet rank, calls himself non-mainstream. On what distinguishes him from Moon, Kim said, “Unlike Moon Jae-in, we have continuously won through harsh reality.” At age 53, Kim is a relatively young politician. Five years later, however, the so-called 386-generation politicians, including Ahn Hee-jung and Lee Kwang-jae, will likely lead the pro-Roh group. This is another reason for Kim to grow desperate in the run-up to the December presidential election.

Kim ran for South Gyeongsang Province governor in 2010 as an independent because he judged that betting on his individual competitiveness would increase his chance of winning the election given the weak influence of the Democratic Party, the predecessor of the Democratic United Party, in the province. At the time, the then ruling Grand National Party (now the Saenuri Party) fielded rookie politician Lee Dal-gon to get reflective benefits. Banking on his political affinity established through community activities, Kim won the election with 53.5 percent of the vote. After losing its stronghold, the ruling party rang an alarm against Kim.

Kim said Thursday, “If I declare my candidacy for the December presidential election around mid-July), I will make public the policies I have prepared,” and stressed his life story of “going from a town head to (the presidential office of) Cheong Wa Dae.” With such comments, he effectively announced his willingness to run in the election. The ruling party is focusing on his life’s journey and folksy image and that he hails from South Gyeongsang Province, which is expected to be the biggest battlefield of the December presidential election. Some recall the “nightmare” of 2002, in which the ruling party suffered a reversal due to Roh Moo-hyun’s huge popularity. Other prospective presidential candidates of the main opposition party are also paying keen attention to Kim.

Editorial Writer Jeong Yeon-wook (jyw11@donga.com)