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.
NPAD innovation chief declares end to factional disputes
Kim Sang-gon, the head of the main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy (NPAD) task force committee to overhaul the party, speaks during a news conference in the National Assembly, Wednesday. / Yonhap
By Jun Ji-hye
By Jun Ji-hye
Kim Sang-gon, head of the New Politics Alliance for Democracy (NPAD)’s task force for innovation, appealed to members of the main opposition party to end a long-running factional feud.
“From now on, dominance of a certain faction will not exist in the NPAD,” Kim told a news conference at the National Assembly Wednesday. “I urge party members to stop meetings of factional members.”
The former Gyeonggi Province education superintendent has been leading ad-hoc efforts to settle in-house discord in the wake of a crushing defeat in the April 29 by-elections.
Kim stressed that he will not condone any individuals or groups who stand in the way of the committee’s activities.
“The NPAD has failed to create the future because greedy members who only work for the advantages of their factions have ruined the party,” he said. “I want all NPAD members to make efforts to renovate the party by putting down their privileges.”
Kim added that he will complete selection of the committee personnel by early June.
Earlier in the day, Kim attended a meeting of the party’s Supreme Council, where he asked Moon to fight like a soldier, saying the chairman’s cooperation is essential.
In response, Moon said he is sure that Kim will bring about enormous changes into the party as he did to the education section when he served as superintendent.
Moon cited that Kim pushed for free school meals in Gyeonggi Province that the chairman assessed was a new approach to education welfare.
Moon added that the committee’s goal is to ensure the party wins in the 2016 general elections and the 2017 presidential election.
During the April elections, with a total of four seats up for grabs, the NPAD won none while the ruling Saenuri Party won three and independent Chun Jung-bae secured the seat of the Seogu-B in Gwangju, a traditional home turf for liberal parties.
A number of party members and political observers believe that the largest opposition party’s crushing defeat came because the NPAD is largely divided into a majority who favor the legacy and policies of the late President Roh Moo-hyun and those who do not.
Rep. Moon, who served as chief of staff under the Roh government, promised to entrust Kim with full powers to settle the factional dispute.
The chairmanship was originally offered to Rep. Ahn Cheol-soo, former independent presidential candidate, but was rejected last week.
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