Leadership conflict escalates in MPK
Main opposition Minjoo Party of Korea interim leader Kim Chong-in listens to a speech by Moon Seung-hyeon, head of the Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, during a visit to Gwangju, Monday. / Yonhap
By Kim Hyo-jin
The Minjoo Party of Korea’s (MPK) interim leader Kim Chong-in and former Chairman Moon Jae-in are locked in a public dispute over who should take the reins of the party following the April 13 general election.
Kim has publicly expressed his displeasure with Moon, saying he lied during a media interview after a meeting Friday. Moon said Saturday that he told Kim not to run in the chairmanship race scheduled for July.
Kim also denounced Moon’s followers for blaming him for losing seats in the party’s traditional stronghold, the Jeolla provinces.
With the in-house gap widening following an assessment of the election results and competition for the new leadership, Kim headed to Gwangju in an attempt to win back support from the estranged electorate.
“Moon and his followers are acting strangely now although I saved them from the edge of a cliff,” Kim said in an interview with a local daily.
Infuriated with Moon’s move to prevent him from vying for the chairmanship, Kim said: “He didn’t say that to me. I just can’t believe Moon anymore. I won’t see him in private.”
The remarks came one day after Moon told reporters that he doesn’t want Kim to retain power after the emergency planning committee’s term ends.
The MPK has been embroiled in controversy after Kim hinted at keeping his leadership role without a contest.
Kim has taken flak from followers of the late President Roh Moo-hyun, mainstream members of the MPK that are led by Moon. They criticized Kim for trying to “seize power” without a democratic procedure.
Kim has defended himself, denying any intention of extending his leadership.
The in-house conflict appeared to have subsided when Moon stepped in.
Moon said he told Kim in a private meeting that “putting forward a new leader on consensus would be difficult in the current circumstances” and “Kim will get hurt if he decides to run in the chairmanship race,” a competition that Kim cannot win.
The clash between Kim and Moon indicates the party could remain disorganized for a while in the run-up to the 2017 presidential election, analysts said.
Kim also refused to take Moon’s offer to join the party’s preparations for the upcoming presidential race.
“The proposal itself doesn’t make sense when we haven’t decided on our presidential candidate,” he said.
Kim lashed out at Moon’s followers, saying, “I know what they’re seeking by blaming me for losing Jeolla voters in the election.”
Jung Cheong-rae, a notable Moon aide, wrote on his twitter account earlier this month that “anti-Moon sentiment in the region is not the reason for our defeat, but Kim’s conservative ideological orientation that insulted the late President Kim Dae-jung’s legacy.”
Later that day, Moon passively responded to Kim’s anger. His office sent a text message to reporters, refusing to comment about their backroom meeting.
“When Kim played an important role in the election and should play a certain role in the presidential race, we don’t want the media to drive a wedge between Kim and Moon,” it said.