The main opposition Minjoo Party of Korea (MPK) has elected Choo Mi-ae, a five-term female lawmaker, as its new leader.
The former judge has her work cut out for her: ending an internal power struggle and realigning the party as a responsible opposition to bring checks and balances to the workings of the governing Saenuri Party and President Park Geun-hye.
Choo as victor should offer an olive branch to the party's "nonmainstream" lawmakers, who already feel painted into a corner, after the support of the "mainstream" faction, led by Moon Jae-in, contributed greatly to Choo's overwhelming victory.
Moon, the party's presidential candidate who lost to President Park, worked as chief of staff of the late President Roh Moo-hyun and inherited Roh's supporters.
A key task for the new MPK leader is to maintain the balance of power inside the party by keeping Moon and his supporters on a tighter leash. Already, top leadership posts are taken by Moon's supporters, triggering concerns that the party is fast leaning toward Moon.
That runs counter to the campaign pledge by Choo to eliminate internal divisions and help the party get ready for the change of power in next year's presidential election.
A fair and open process should be ensured to have the opposition produce a more qualified candidate who goes up against the ruling party's standard bearer for a greater chance of winning. This will help provide the people with a wider set of choices.
Choo faces a test in the adjustment of the current party's policies regarding the government's decision to deploy the Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery, an advanced U.S. missile interceptor.
Under the interim MPK leader, Kim Chong-in, the MPK had been neutral on this issue. Demand for a hard-line stance is expected to get stronger. Now, there is speculation that the MPK may join the minor opposition parties to require legislative ratification for the deployment, which will bring this controversial issue back to square one.
Choo and members of the Moon faction should bear in mind that a majority of people consider THAAD a minimal self-defense measure against the growing threat of North Korea's missile attacks. Thus, any partisan approach will run the risk of wreaking havoc to the defense posture and alienating the party from the voters.
In her victory speech, Choo vowed to avoid the clash of power between China and the U.S. on the Korean Peninsula. We will keenly watch how she handles this first test of her leadership.
The former judge has her work cut out for her: ending an internal power struggle and realigning the party as a responsible opposition to bring checks and balances to the workings of the governing Saenuri Party and President Park Geun-hye.
Choo as victor should offer an olive branch to the party's "nonmainstream" lawmakers, who already feel painted into a corner, after the support of the "mainstream" faction, led by Moon Jae-in, contributed greatly to Choo's overwhelming victory.
Moon, the party's presidential candidate who lost to President Park, worked as chief of staff of the late President Roh Moo-hyun and inherited Roh's supporters.
A key task for the new MPK leader is to maintain the balance of power inside the party by keeping Moon and his supporters on a tighter leash. Already, top leadership posts are taken by Moon's supporters, triggering concerns that the party is fast leaning toward Moon.
That runs counter to the campaign pledge by Choo to eliminate internal divisions and help the party get ready for the change of power in next year's presidential election.
A fair and open process should be ensured to have the opposition produce a more qualified candidate who goes up against the ruling party's standard bearer for a greater chance of winning. This will help provide the people with a wider set of choices.
Choo faces a test in the adjustment of the current party's policies regarding the government's decision to deploy the Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery, an advanced U.S. missile interceptor.
Under the interim MPK leader, Kim Chong-in, the MPK had been neutral on this issue. Demand for a hard-line stance is expected to get stronger. Now, there is speculation that the MPK may join the minor opposition parties to require legislative ratification for the deployment, which will bring this controversial issue back to square one.
Choo and members of the Moon faction should bear in mind that a majority of people consider THAAD a minimal self-defense measure against the growing threat of North Korea's missile attacks. Thus, any partisan approach will run the risk of wreaking havoc to the defense posture and alienating the party from the voters.
In her victory speech, Choo vowed to avoid the clash of power between China and the U.S. on the Korean Peninsula. We will keenly watch how she handles this first test of her leadership.
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