Opposition eyes presidential race
Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon, left, and Rep. Kim Chong-in, the interim leader of the main opposition Minjoo Party of Korea — both potential presidential contenders — smile at a participant during a forum at the National Assembly, Tuesday. / Yonhap
By Kim Hyo-jin
The nation’s two largest opposition parties are in a heated competition to expand their support bases among liberal voters, setting their sights on the presidential race next year.
Some lawmakers of the main opposition Minjoo Party of Korea (MPK) insist that opposition parties put up a single candidate to increase chances of winning the election.
But the smaller People’s Party gave the cold shoulder to the suggestion, saying that it will select its candidate among multiple potential contenders with centrist political orientation through intra-party competition.
The party said the race will be open to any centrist politicians except those who follow Moon Jae-in, the MPK’s ex-chairman and those affiliated with President Park Geun-hye.
People’s Party floor leader Rep. Park Jie-won has already started attracting those noted as possible presidential candidates in the opposition bloc to join the party.
Sohn Hak-kyu, former adviser to the MPK, Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon of the MPK, and ex-Prime Minister Chung Woon-chan are on his wish list.
“It is desirable that Sohn, Park and Chung are brought together and compete for the candidacy in the lead-up to the presidential race,” Park said. “I will soon propose that Park join our party.”
Rep. Ahn Cheol-soo, the party’s ex-chairman, expressed his intention to recruit Sohn in their brief meeting, Sunday.
“I think it is time to make happen ‘a life that has free evening time,’” Ahn told Sohn when seeing him at a memorial service for the deceased pastor and democratization activist Park Hyung-kyu, noting Sohn’s political catchphrase.
Sohn vowed to change Korea’s work culture, where employees tend to work until late and sacrifice their evening and night time, in the opposition primary race in 2012. The opposition bigwig, who has stayed away from politics, earlier hinted at his return in preparations for the 2017 presidential race.
The leaders of the People’s Party ratcheted up their efforts to scout the influential politicians from the MPK amid high speculation that those affiliated with former MPK Chairman Moon Jae-in are likely to take power in the upcoming party caucus.
They believe that Sohn, Park and Chung have little possibility of becoming presidential candidates in the party led by Moon followers.
Moon is believed to have set his sights on launching a presidential bid.
Stressing the need to change the government in the 2017 election, Moon urged Ahn, another potential presidential candidate, to discuss ways of joining hands.
“I’m determined to bring victory to the opposition bloc this time. Ahn and Itogether will be able to do so,” he told reporters following the memorial service for late ex-President Kim Dae-jung, Thursday.
Some MPK officials expressed concerns about the possibility of Sohn’s defection.
“Without him, the party will have a stronger image of being controlled by Moon followers,” an official said. “That is not good in our efforts to gain votes from centrist voters.”