Lee Jung-hyun elected as Saenuri Party chairman
Rep. Lee Jung-hyun of the ruling Saenuri Party waves a party flag after his election as the new chairman at the party’s national convention at Jamsil Indoor Gymnasium in southern Seoul, Tuesday. / Yonhap
By Kim Hyo-jin
Rep. Lee Jung-hyun, a three-term lawmaker, was elected as new chairman of the ruling Saenuri Party, Tuesday.
This is the first time in the history of the conservative party that a lawmaker from the Jeolla provinces ― a traditional stronghold for liberals ― won the chairmanship. Lee is from Gokseong, South Jeolla Province.
Lee, a close aide to President Park Geun-hye, garnered 44,421 votes, beating Joo Ho-young, an anti-Park lawmaker who earned 31,946 votes at the party’s national convention in Seoul, which also picked five Supreme Council members. Two other candidates ― Reps. Lee Ju-young and Han Sun-kyo ― had 21,614 and 10,757, respectively.
The combined ballots by party members and delegates account for 70 percent of the election result, while public opinion polls comprised 30 percent.
“I declare that from this moment no pro-Park or non-Park factions shall exist,” Lee said during an acceptance speech. “I will reform the party structure and bring back public confidence and pave the way to victory in the upcoming presidential election.”
Reps. Cho Won-jin, Lee Jang-woo, Kang Seok-ho, Choi Yeon-hye were picked to form the Supreme Council, with Yoo Chang-soo taking an additional slot allotted to a youth party member. Cho, Lee and Choi are regarded as loyal to President Park.
With pro-Park members holding a grip on the party leadership, the national convention is expected to smooth out the party's relations with the presidential office that has often been subject to friction in the past, and prevent President Park from entering a lame-duck session prematurely, according to analysts.
Lee’s victory came as a surprise because Park loyalists have been losing ground in the party after the stinging defeat in the April 13 general election.
Some pro-Park lawmakers involved in the run-up to the election had to step back from the party affairs, taking responsibility for the result of the elections after candidate nominations, lopsided in favor of pro-Park members, and the following factional conflict were noted as a major reason for the defeat.
Party officials said that members of the mainstream pro-Park faction still exerted organizational power on the ballot day.
They also added that the significance of having the first chairman from a liberal region in the conservative party appeared to have influenced the sentiment of voters.
The 58-year-old lawmaker emerged as a bigwig in the party after he won a rare victory in a 2014 by-election for a constituency in Suncheon, South Jeolla Province. He retained his parliamentary seat there in April’s general election.
Lee served as Park’s chief secretary for political affairs between March and June 2013, and for public affairs between June 2013 and June 2014.
He will have to carry out the daunting task of seeking unity in the bewildered party suffering from factional division and nurture a candidate in the run-up to the presidential election in 2017.
The pundits said Ban Ki-moon, the U.N. Secretary-General and a possible presidential candidate who is believed to be backed by the President, will gain steam under Lee’s leadership.
The new chairman will be given bigger influence in leading the party than his predecessors. Lee will have a full authority in appointing party officials and orchestrating general party affairs.
The result came after the outgoing leadership changed party regulations after its crushing defeat in the April 13 general election.
The party used to make decisions based on the agreement between a chairman and eight Supreme Council members. But this rule faced strong criticism as the leadership remained fragmented while the party was embroiled in factional conflicts in the run-up to the general election.