Rep. Song leaves main opposition party to join Ahn`s camp

Rep. Song Ho-chang on Tuesday bolted from the main opposition Democratic United Party and joined the campaign of independent presidential candidate Ahn Cheol-soo, becoming the first incumbent lawmaker to join Ahn and help him open a beachhead in the National Assembly.

Representing the Uiwang-Gwacheon district in Gyeonggi Province, Song told a news conference, “I cannot imagine leaving our children’s future with outdated political forces,” thus blasting the ruling Saenuri Party and his former party.

“I feel sorry for the Democratic United Party and its president candidate Moon Jae-in,” he said, but added, “While 150 Saenuri lawmakers are waging malicious attacks against candidate Ahn without factual grounds, Ahn is standing all alone with no lawmaker to support him. If Ahn’s approval rating declines, it will cause a fatal injury to candidate Moon. This is the only way to revive both the Democratic United Party and candidate Ahn.”

“The biggest mission is to ensure that we (candidates Ahn and Moon) become unified,” Song said in clarifying his bid to do his utmost to unify the opposition candidate.

The lawmaker will team up with Park Sun-sook of the Democratic United Party and former Saenuri Party Rep. Kim Sung-shik to co-chair Ahn’s preparatory task force for the presidential election. Song was spokesman for opposition candidate Park Won-soon ahead of the by-election for Seoul mayor last year.

Seoul Mayor Park reportedly requested that the Democratic United Party nominate Song as a candidate ahead of the April 11 general elections. Party floor leader Park Jie-won gave campaign speeches in Song’s constituency twice.

The main opposition party blasted Song’s departure, saying, “Is taking away our lawmaker part of candidate Ahn’s new politics?"

zeitung@donga.com