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.
Minor leftist party poised to split
By Kang Hyun-kyung
The leader of the minor left-leaning Unified Progressive Party (UPP) hinted at creating a new party Monday, weeks after its members failed to expel trouble-hit lawmakers Reps. Lee Seok-ki and Kim Jae-yeon.
“We (referring to a UPP faction that cast ballots against Lee and Kim in the recent expulsion vote) are going to take our own path to rebuild politics for progressives,” UPP Chairman Kang Ki-kab said in a news conference at the National Assembly. “Name changes or rewriting the party’s platform is not bold enough to regain the confidence of the people (as they are so frustrated by the UPP).”
Kang promised an end to power politics, which he said misled the UPP and drove its members to face despair and frustration.
He unveiled a new party plan as the demise of the leftist party appears likely after Lee and Kim, accused of voting fraud for the selection of UPP proportional representation candidates, survived the recent move to oust them.
Thousands of grass-root members have left the party in protest while others have stopped paying their dues to the UPP as they are sick and tired of its lackluster efforts. Several labor unions, the main support base for the progressive party, have also withdrawn their endorsement.
On Sunday, Kang and likeminded members met to discuss ways to handle the current challenge. Those who joined the closed-door meeting were Reps. Roh Heo-chan, Sim Sang-jeong and former health and welfare minister Rhyu Si-min and Cheon Ho-seon, former presidential spokesman for the late Roh Moo-hyun government.
Details of their discussion were not made public. But some members told reporters that they reached a consensus that their patience was running out and that they didn’t feel the need to work together with those in the UPP who disagree with them.
The party consists of moderate and radical factions. Kang and those who met Sunday are moderate progressives, whereas Lee and Kim are among the radical group. Radical UPP members have drawn the ire of the people after displaying a pro-North Korea stance. They have remained silent over North Korean human rights issues and some of them allegedly have links with the communist regime.
The radicals came under fire after Lee was found to have been involved in the vote-rigging case.
The UPP’s failure to vote out Lee and Kim revealed the clash between the two factions.