Seoul mayor joins main opposition party

Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon joined the main opposition Democratic United Party (DUP) on Thursday, a decision that could boost the liberals' chances in April's general elections.

The lawyer-turned-activist, who was not previously affiliated with any political party, was elected mayor in a by-election last October, with the backing of a broad liberal alliance against high-profile ruling party rival Na Kyung-won.

"Our goal in 2012 is no different from what we strove to achieve through the by-election for Seoul mayor," Park said during an accession ceremony. "The public will change parliament, and the public will change the president."

He also called on the main opposition party to seek constant change, while vowing to fully serve in his job as mayor.

"The DUP should transform itself first. We have yet to win. I will strive to support the party to be a spearhead of national unity and waves of change," he said. "The authorized power in real terms is meant to revive the economy and design the happiness of the public."

The opposition party hailed his formal sign-up as a member.

"The party has now gained a huge strength," DUP chief Han Myeong-sook said in her welcoming address. "Based on the momentum, we will redress wrongdoing by the current government and do our utmost to advance into a new era of change."

The Seoul mayor's decision to join the DUP is expected to aid its efforts to present a united liberal front with minor parties to beat their conservative rivals in the April vote.

Park's accession to the party, following the same move last week by Kim Doo-gwan, the governor of South Gyeongsang Province, brought the number of the DUP-controlled metropolitan and provincial governments to nine out of the total of 16.

Meanwhile, Park held a press conference to announce his decision "to forgive" those who had spread false rumors about his son's exemption from his military duty.

The press conference came one day after Park's 27-year-old son was cleared by another round of medical checkups of suspicions first raised by independent lawmaker Kang Yong-seok that the junior Park fabricated medical records to dodge his mandatory military service.

"I and my family had spent every single day in shock and despair over the past two months. It was really cruel," Park said. "But I will forgive everyone who launched the preposterous attacks against us. I also won't seek any legal actions, because I believe they will be judged by the public."

Upon the announcement about the results of the latest checkup, Park's lawyer vowed to hold the lawmaker and several others who joined his move accountable in both civil and criminal terms, while the lawmaker offered to resign from his parliamentary seat.

"I sincerely hope we took this incident as an opportunity to achieve a more mature and reasonable society," the Seoul mayor said.

But an investigation into how the junior Park's medical records were leaked to lawmaker Kang is expected to be conducted as an unidentified citizen has already filed a suit, he added. (Yonhap)