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.
Two join hands against Saenuri
Rep. Kim Han-gil, right, chairman of the main opposition Democratic Party shakes hands with Rep. Ahn Cheol-soo ahead of their joint press conference at “Sarangjae,” a traditional "hanok" building near the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, Sunday. The two announced that they will form an opposition coalition ahead of the June 4 local polls. / Yonhap
By Jun Ji-hye
Bigger opposition eyes June 4 local elections; outlook not clear
By Jun Ji-hye
The two major opposition forces have decided to merge to confront the ruling Saenuri Party in the June 4 local elections and lay the foundations for a change of government in 2017, its leaders said Sunday.
In a surprise announcement, Democratic Party (DP) Chairman Kim Han-gil and Rep. Ahn Cheol-soo, who was in the process of starting a new party, said that their decision is aimed at bringing justice to the “rule of arrogance and lies” by the Saenuri Party and President Park Geun-hye.
“We agreed on pushing for consolidation of the two sides at the earliest possible date, so that we can change the administration in the 2017 presidential election,” said the two leaders.
“Beginning with abolishing the party nomination system, we will consistently push forward with measures to reform old politics.” Kim said, accepting the top-priority demand by Ahn, who was also on hand at the press conference.
The Saenuri Party is backtracking on Park’s campaign promise to end partisan influence in nominations for local elections, which Ahn and Kim are using to turn up the heat on it.
The two leaders jointly said, “President Park and the Saenuri Party didn’t even apologize for lies they said in the run-up to the 2012 presidential election.”
Hours later, the two announced that their negotiating teams were to start work on details of the merger, saying it will be finished this month.
The announcement caught the governing party and some insiders in the opposition by surprise because few detected the extent of progress in their merger talks, although their union is the inevitable result of a sense of political crisis ― fueled by a realization that they are losing political relevance.
However, it remains to be seen whether the two can complete the process because of the difference in size between the two political entities. Ahn’s party in the making has two lawmakers, including him, while the DP has over 126. So their coalition may prove to be short-lived and only survive the local elections or the DP will absorb Ahn and Co. In comparison, the Saenuri Party enjoys a plus 40 percent approval rating, while that of Park has reached 60 percent in some polls.
Moreover, the DP also has a significant problem ― being shunned by the public ― receiving less public support than Ahn in some opinion polls. The main opposition party is regarded as a drifting group with no-one appearing to be in charge sometimes.
The leaders said that the new party will strengthen the nation’s democratic processes by unearthing the truth behind the alleged intervention in the presidential election by the National Intelligence Service, adding that it will also aim at realizing “economic democratization” and “introducing” various welfare measures.
Their announcement sent a shock through the political community, causing confusion both in and outside the opposition.
Some DP members are already complaining about the chairman’s “unilateral” move.
They argue that Kim did not consult with party members before making such a crucial decision.
Ahn previously said that he would officially launch his new party, dubbed the “New Political Vision Party,” by the end of this month.
Meanwhile, the governing party downplayed Kim and Ahn’s announcement, describing their consolidation as a “political collusion” for the local elections.
“Kim gave up his responsibility as head of the leading opposition party, while Ahn broke his promise to draw up a third force in the political landscape, just in order to secure victories in the elections,” said Rep. Park Dae-chul, its spokesman.