Lee Jae-oh consolidates political comeback

By Kim Se-jeong

Barely two weeks after regaining a seat at the National Assembly, Rep. Lee Jae-oh of the ruling Grand National Party (GNP) was tapped Sunday to facilitate communications between the presidential office and the governing party.

President Lee Myung-bak appointed the lawmaker, who is nicknamed the “President’s right-hand man,” as minister for special affairs.

When Lee Jae-oh defeated rival Chang Sang of the main opposition Democratic Party to win a seat at the National Assembly in the July 28 by-elections, political pundits categorized it as the “return of the President’s man.”

Political pundits now say the new appointment consolidates Lee’s political comeback and has two significant implications.

First, the four-term lawmaker will regain his political clout if the National Assembly members give his nomination the green light.

In addition, he will likely play a role as advisor to the presidential office at a time when several major issues, including the four-river project and tension on the Korean Peninsula after the sinking of the warship Cheonan, need to be settled.

Lee’s relationship with President Lee Myung-bak has been special.

In 2002, he served as chief campaign strategist for Lee when he ran in the Seoul Mayoral election on the GNP ticket.

The special minister-nominee also played a critical role in helping him achieve a landslide win in the 2007 presidential election.

His own political career has had its ups and downs.

Lee was defeated by Moon Kook-hyun in the parliamentary elections held in 2008 by a double-digit margin, and frustrated, he left Korea for the United States.

Upon his return earlier this year, he accepted the chairmanship of the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission.

If confirmed by the Assembly, Lee is also expected to help Prime Minister-nominee Kim Tae-ho, who has little experience in central government, manage his crucial job smoothly.

But different factions within the governing party ― in particular those close to former party leader Park Geun-hye ― may not wholly embrace Lee’s role as communication facilitor. The opposition has already blasted the reshuffle for bringing the President’s close political allies to the fore.

After the nomimnation,Lee himself said, “I can see travails ahead” because of the difficult political terrain.

Lee was born in Yeongyang, North Gyeongsang Province in 1945. He earned a masters degree from Korea University and a doctorate from Chung-Aang University.

Lee was also active at the forefront of the democratization movement, being imprisoned five times. He also had a teaching career in the 1970s.