Former Presidents Confidants Anger GNP
By Kang Hyun-kyung
Staff Reporter
The Grand National Party (GNP) criticized Sunday the alleged role of former President Kim Dae-jung and his confidants in the creation of a new party, which is now underway in the liberal camp.
The main opposition party called it a plot to get these people's political ambition realized.
``There is a rumor in Jeolla provinces that many of Kim's confidants are in preparation of running for the National Assembly elections which are to take place next year,'' said GNP party spokeswoman Na Kyung-won.
Rep. Na urged them to stop maneuvering to turn the clock back and dismissed their activities as no more than selfish and self-serving.
The main opposition party's furious reaction came after a report that the former president and his close aides seemed to be behind the liberal camp's new party project.
According to the report, former President Kim drew a big picture of the new party project and his close aide Park Ji-won, former chief of staff of Cheong Wa Dae, made specific action plans to achieve the goals set by the former president.
Political analysts said Park has former President Kim's ear.
The former chief of staff of the presidential office has met presidential aspirants of the liberal camp, lawmakers of the Uri Party and those who left the party to make the new party project work.
Besides the new party project, one of Kim's confidants recently joined presidential contender Sohn Hak-kyu's camp.
Sohn defected the GNP in March and joined the new party project in June.
The former Gyeonggi governor hired former lawmaker Seol Hun for one of the top positions in his camp.
Seol held a new conference before the 2002 Presidential election and claimed Lee Hoi-chang, then GNP candidate, had illegally received $ 200,000 from then a jailed businessman.
The lawmaker was sent to prison after being found guilty for the circulation of false information.