I am an editorial writer at The Korea Times, focusing on foreign policy, North Korea and domestic politics. My key areas of interest include North Korea, foreign interference in elections, election integrity, cyberattacks and human rights. Prior to joining the Editorial Board, I served as both Politics Desk editor and Culture Desk editor. During my career, I have reported on the Presidential Office under the Lee Myung-bak administration, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the National Assembly.
Gimhae race is gamble for ex-governor
By Kang Hyun-kyung
For Kim Tae-ho, the former governor of South Gyeongsang Province, his candidacy in the Gimhae district in the April 27 by-elections is a high-stakes poker game.
His plan for a comeback as a lawmaker by winning the Gimhae race, where the legacy of the late former President Roh Moo-hyun lives on, is facing a formidable challenge.
Kim’s rival is Lee Bong-soo, a former aide of Roh. The late President, along with his wife, settled down in Bongha Village in Gimhae after he left the presidential office in February 2008.
The liberal president committed suicide in 2009 after feeling mounting pressure from a bribery scandal involving a former businessman whom Roh called his friend. The late President had received money from the businessman while in office. Roh would have been questioned by prosecutors, if he had not committed suicide.
Roh’s sudden death created a sort of collective guilt among his supporters.
Two years later, the sympathetic atmosphere is still prevalent in the district.
In addition to the pro-Roh atmosphere, his aide Lee, 56, who is running in the election on the minor People’s Participation Party ticket, appears to have another advantage. Lee is a unified candidate in the liberal camp and liberal votes are not going to be split.
A Gimhae native, Lee worked for the Roh campaign back in 2002 when the eloquent liberal leader ran in the presidential race. He was also a former vice chairman of the Korea Racing Authority (2003-2005).
And now he strives to make the most of his link with the late President to consolidate liberal votes. And his campaign strategy appears to be working as intended.
A recent poll of 1,000 Gimhae residents found that Lee is leading the race with a one-digit margin.
The Changwon MBC poll said support for Lee was 47.7 percent, while Kim’s figure was 40.2 percent. The survey had a plus or minus 3.1 percentage points margin of error.
Kim, who is running in the election on the ruling Grand National Party ticket, is battling the legacy of the late Roh.
Since joining the political arena as a legislative aide to a former lawmaker, the 50-year-old politician has rewritten campaign history. Kim won a mayoral election in Geochang, South Gyeongsang Province at age 40, becoming the youngest mayor.
Two years later, he set another record when he became the youngest governor of South Gyeongsang Province in 2004.
In early 2010, the popular governor suddenly declared he would not seek a third-term. Voters and political watchers were puzzled, but they soon found out why months later. President Lee Myung-bak tapped Kim as prime minister-nominee. But the nomination was short-lived as he dropped out of the designation after the parliamentary hearing to confirm his nomination.
Kim lied about his relationship with a former businessman who was in prison over a bribery scandal.
Campaign watchers say although the former governor is behind his rival in the latest public opinion survey, chances for Kim to win the race are not negligible.
In the MBC poll, support for the ruling GNP stood at 35.8 percent, the highest among parties.
Campaign watchers say voter turnout will determine the winner of the Gimhae race.