By Lee Tae-hoon
Political figures who had their heyday for showing loyalty to President Lee Myung-bak are fast falling into the shadows, beset by a series of corruption scandals.
The number of pro-Lee lawmakers in the former Grand National Party, which recently changed its name to Saenuri, once accounted for nearly two thirds of the conservative party’s some 170 parliamentary seats.
Nevertheless, they are now finding that it will be hopeless to defend their seats at the April National Assembly election as interim leader Park Geun-hye is set to axe a considerable number of established politicians.
The pro-Lee faction was powerful enough to push through contentious bills that eliminated cross-media ownership restrictions and the ones that gave the green light for the multibillion dollar four-river restoration project.
Now they have no choice but to sit and watch possible unfavorable decisions determine their futures as Park’s candidate selection team and the decision-making Supreme Council seek to revamp their troubled party ahead of the upcoming election.
“It appears that the party’s new leadership has agreed in principle to remove the majority of pro-Lee figures in the process of candidate selection for the April general election,” said a pro-Lee lawmaker representing a constituency in Seoul on the condition of anonymity.
Another lawmaker widely believed to be a confidant to President Lee complained that the interim leadership has shown no sign of willingness to embrace pro-Lee figures or efforts to consult matters of conflict of interest with them.
“Pro-Park figures argued that the candidate selection for the last general election in 2007 was a ‘massacre’ of loyalists to the incumbent GNP leader Park,” he said. “At least, pro-Lee figures responsible for the candidate screening back then allowed pro-Park figures to join discussions for the nomination process, but no such efforts can be seen now.”
Former Special Affairs Minister Lee Jae-oh, known as President Lee’s right-hand man, carried out the “massacre” of incumbent legislators loyal Park, who was defeated in the party's primary ahead of the 2007 presidential election.
Pro-Lee figures said they will keep silent until the new leadership releases the results of the candidate selection for the April election because they have no other option while public opinion has turned against them.
Several political heavyweights close to the President have been subject to prosecutors’ investigations on charges of bribery, hacking of the National Election Commission’s website and other illicit activities.
Lee’s elder brother Lee Sang-deak, a five-term lawmaker of the Saenuri Party, has been in a hot seat for transferring 800 million won ($704,000) to his secretaries’ bank accounts for dubious reasons. One of his aides was also arrested last month on suspicion of receiving kickbacks from the SLS Group chairman in exchange for influence peddling.
Former National Assembly Speaker Park Hee-tae, a former six-term lawmaker of the Saenuri Party, has stepped down amid an ongoing investigation into claims he bribed fellow lawmakers in the 2008 ruling party leadership election.
Kim Hyo-jae, senior presidential secretary for political affairs, tendered his resignation Friday as more witnesses testified that Kim was behind the vote-buying scandal involving Park.
Choi See-joong, another confidant of Lee, stepped down this month as head of the Korea Communications Commission over allegations he bribed lawmakers to help push cross-media-related policies.
Rep Choi Gu-sik, a pro-Lee lawmaker left the GNP for allegations that one of his aides hacked the NEC website to hamper the supporters of the main opposition Democratic United Party to find information about polling stations in the Seoul mayoral by-election last year.
Observers say the demise of pro-Lee figures due to corruption scandals will accentuate the lame duck status of the President and further alienate them from the mainstream political circle.