KOREA: Two Uri factions vie for floor leader

Two political heavyweights with very different credentials and background are fighting to be the Uri Party's floor leader, a vaunted post that influences agenda priorities and key committee posts in the National Assembly

The Korea Herald
Saturday, May 8, 2004

By Kim So-young

Two political heavyweights with very different credentials and background are fighting to be the Uri Party's floor leader, a vaunted post that influences agenda priorities and key committee posts in the National Assembly.

Seeking to replace the incumbent Kim Geun-tae are former human rights lawyer Chun Jung-bae and former Education Minister Lee Hai-chan.

The tight two-way election, scheduled for Tuesday, is considered a de-facto competition between two biggest rival groups within Uri, heralding a major impact on the balance of power within the now majority party in the incoming 17th National Assembly.

Rep. Chun has strong backing from Uri Chairman Chung Dong-young and other moderate experts-turned politicians. Rep. Lee, a seasoned bureaucrat and politician, is supported by the so-called "ex-dissidents" group centered on current floor leader Kim, as well as new assemblymen who fought for democracy in the 1980s.

Since Chung and Kim are both forecast to enter the Cabinet when suspended President Roh Moo-hyun returns to office, expected as early as next week, Tuesday's race is also seen by political analysts as a proxy war between the centrist chairman and the more reformist floor leader.

However, the competition for floor leadership is much more complicated than it appears at first sight.

To the dismay of the Uri leadership, which is committed to stability rather than rapid change, Chun calls for speedy reform of the media and Korea's judiciary branch, and other issues expected to surface in the next parliament.

Lee, unlike most of his more liberal and reform-minded colleagues, is reluctant to push for potentially abrasive topics in order not to trigger fierce resistance from the conservative opposition Grand National Party.

The policy gap between Chun and Lee has confused many of Uri's lawmakers-elect who follow different ideologies and will seek to back whoever better reflects their policy lines.

In a meeting with reporters Wednesday, Chun said, "Among reform tasks in our society, media reform is on top of the agenda. I think that should be done within the first year of becoming a floor leader. Doesn't the public want an early media reform?"

Lee thinks differently. "There's no doubt media reform should go ahead swiftly, but opinions will vary widely on this issue among lawmakers. There should first be general agreement to media reform within parliament," he told reporters.

Regarding the controversial government plan to dispatch 3,600 Korean troops to Iraq, Chun is demanding a review of the plan in view of worsening security in the war-ravaged nation. Lee believes the troops should be sent as planned because Korea has already promised.

The troop dispatch issue also underscores the two contenders' conflicting views with the groups they each belong to, adding to the confusion confronting Uri's 152 lawmakers as they get set to elect their new floor leader.

With the leadership and the ex-dissidents' groups clearly divided between Chun and Lee, the key to their fortunes are the other rival factions: President Roh's close aides, such as his policy adviser Moon Hee-sang, and Uri's most progressive group, headed by Rep. Rhyu Shi-min.

Both groups have so far tried not to throw their weight behind either candidate, with Roh confidants emphasizing the president's neutrality and the progressive force saying it will wait until the candidates hold talks with Uri members Monday.

Who Chun and Lee select as their respective running mates is also expected to affect the outcome.

After both men first sought in vain to win Uri's chief policymaker Chung Se-kyun over, Lee chose Rep. Kang Bong-kyun, a former finance and economy minister, as his partner. Chun said Rep. Hong Jae-hyong, also a former finance and economy minister, would be his running mate.

Whatever the result, the race, which is widely seen as the first round of battle between Uri's two major rival factions, will likely have a significant effect on the party's balance of power.

Date Posted: 5/8/2004