Why did Koh blow whistle?
By Park Si-soo
Rep. Koh Seung-duk’s belated divulgence of a vote-buying attempt by incumbent National Assembly Speaker Park Hee-tae has deepened turmoil within the ruling Grand National Party (GNP), dealing a severe blow to its morality.
Koh dropped the bombshell based upon his first-hand witness account during the GNP’s leadership race in 2008 and his fellow lawmakers’ frustration has reached boiling point. Some are calling for the party’s disbandment.
But one thing still doubtful is why the first-term legislator revealed the dark side of the GNP at this moment.
There are only four months until the parliamentary election, largely viewed as a litmus test for public sentiment ahead of the December presidential election.
His move also comes at a time when the GNP is reeling from a deepening internal feud driven by a cyber attack on the state election watchdog, which some GNP staffers are suspected to have masterminded to influence voter turnout in the Oct. 26 by-elections.
Rumors abound. Yet one thing indisputable is that Koh’s revelation has helped increase his political presence and also build up his public image as “clean and anti-corruption.”
Many analysts say that could be one of the goals he had originally targeted.
Some allege his action was motivated to defend his parliamentary seat. A close aide to the National Assembly Speaker, Park Sung-joong, recently proclaimed that he will compete with Koh to win a GNP ticket to run in the April election.
The former secretary-general of the Community Chest of Korea, the country’s largest charity group, is largely viewed as the speaker’s political brother. Analysts haven’t ruled out the possibility that the disclosure was meant to contain Park’s political ambitions by attacking his powerful patron.
But Koh has vehemently denied the allegation saying, “It’s an over dramatization of groundless news.”
Others claim the revelation was made after close consultation between Koh and the GNP’s decision-making body, particularly with its interim leader Rep. Park Geun-hye.
As the leading presidential hopeful of the GNP, Park Geyun-hye has tried to take advantage of the Internet hacking scandal to push political heavyweights close to President Lee Myung-bak away from the core of the party in a move to recover public confidence in the GNP, particularly among young voters.
The GNP’s approval ratings have nose-dived recently after some of its members, mostly close to President Lee, have been embroiled in corruption claims.
Analysts said the vote-buying scandal will put additional weight behind Park Geun-hye’s maneuvering, paving the way for the interim leader to conduct a sweeping reshuffle of the party’s candidate lineup for the April elections.