By Kim Sue-young
Staff Reporter
Former prominent politicians are expected to return to politics ahead of the parliamentary by-elections scheduled for April 29.
Political observers said, Sunday, those figures would affect the political landscape and possibly a National Assembly extraordinary session opening in early April, during which contentious bills, such as media industry-related proposed legislation, would be dealt with.
Five Assembly seats are up for grabs in the by-elections ― one each in Incheon, Gyeongju and Ulsan, and two in Jeonju.
Chairman Park Hee-tae of the governing Grand National Party (GNP) is said to prepare for the by-election to run in the southeastern industrial city of Ulsan.
``Park is expected to make a decision after meeting with leaders of the ruling camp and collecting opinions of ordinary party members," an GNP official said on condition of anonymity.
His possible candidacy is drawing public attention since the result can be viewed as a barometer to read public sentiment toward the ruling party and the government.
Observers said his win would enable the ruling camp to manage state affairs in a stable way with public support, while his defeat could hinder the camp from speeding up a range of reform plans.
Kim Deog-ryong, a former GNP lawmaker and incumbent special presidential advisor for national unity, and former opposition party legislator Han Gwang-ok are also considering running for the April 29 by-elections as well, party sources said.
Chung Dong-young, a former presidential candidate of the now-defunct Uri Party, predecessor of the main opposition Democratic Party (DP), has already declared his bid in the race in a district of Jeonju.
He went to the United States after losing the parliamentary election in a Seoul district in April last year.
The former unification minister is considered having a high chance of winning the upcoming election since the constituency is his political hometown.
However, what he calls the restart of his political career faces objections within the party because some members claim that Chung should remain silent after his defeat in the presidential race in December 2007.
Observers said the return of political bigwigs will influence the April Assembly session to handle the disputed media bills in one form or another. The GNP and the DP have shown few signs of backing off from their stance on the media bills.
The GNP has sought to increase its clout over broadcasters since the impeachment of former liberal President Roh Moo-hyun in 2004, which it says caused its defeat in the parliamentary elections months later.
The DP opposes the bills, arguing that those cross-media ownership measures, if passed, would allow certain newspaper companies to control broadcasters.
ksy@koreatimes.co.kr
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