Jun Ji-hye, a reporter at the finance desk of The Korea Times, focuses primarily on economic policy and government agencies, mainly covering the Ministry of Finance and Economy, the Ministry of Budget and Planning, the National Tax Service and the Korea Customs Service. She previously covered financial authorities, including the Financial Services Commission and the Financial Supervisory Service, and earlier worked on the political, city and business desks, reporting on a wide range of issues.
DUP explores ways for survival after election
By Jun Ji-hye
The opposition Democratic United Party (DUP) is exploring ways to tackle the aftereffects of the election defeat through realigning the liberal camp.
Members are voicing the need to expand the party apparatus to accommodate the 14.67 million people who voted for Moon Jae-in during the Dec. 19 poll ― equivalent to about 48 percent of the total ― but do not necessarily support the party.
Toward this end, the party is seeking to become a “pan-national party.” Moon also pledged efforts to create such a party, saying “I will play my role if needed, despite the result of the presidential poll,” Friday.
Moon added that he now understood the DUP’s limitations in achieving government change and new politics.
Kwun Hyuk-ki, a DUP official, told The Korea Times, Sunday, “Some party members share the need for the establishment of a pan-national party.”
Some say the best scenario would be if the party could attract former independent candidate Ahn Cheol-soo; but most experts express skepticism over Ahn joining the DUP.
“There are many differences between Ahn and the DUP in their political vision,” said Chung Goon-gi, a professor at the Journalism and Media Department of Kyonggi University.
Also, Ahn is reportedly distancing himself from existing politics while staying in the United State.
Regarding how to realign the liberal side, experts cite two possible methods.
One is absorbing members from the nascent “National Alliance,” a group composed of opposition’s backers of Moon, into the party.
They include figures from all walks of life including civic groups, academia, religious and culture circles, as well as members from the Progressive Justice Party.
Under a second scenario, outsiders could create their own party, and then merge with the DUP.
In the process, political renovation has surfaced as the first priority as a means of gaining public trust.
“If the party only focuses on combining forces without self innovation, it cannot give people confidence in the DUP,” an insider said asking for anonymity.
The DUP will soon form an emergency committee to cope with the post-election period. It will also convene a caucus of party lawmakers to decide its future direction.