Park Ji-won is a writer for The Korea Times who has been covering a wide range of topics from Korea’s culture to its politics. An avid journalism enthusiast to the core, Ji-won brings a thoughtful and unique perspective to every topic she covers. On weekends, you'll often find her contemplating life’s purpose on a yoga mat — with a cup of quality tea in hand. A native Korean speaker by birth and fluent in English through her work, she went to college in Japan and is learning Chinese and French — hoping to add Polish, Russian and Thai to the mix.
Ex-LKP chief Hong declares bid for party leadership
Hong Joon-pyo, right, the former main opposition Liberty Korea Party leader, waves before holding a publication event to promote his new book at The-K Twin Towers in Seoul, Wednesday. He declared his candidacy for the party leadership to hold the Moon Jae-in administration in check. / Yonhap
By Park Ji-won
By Park Ji-won
Hong Joon-pyo, former chairman of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party (LKP), officially declared his bid to lead the LKP yet again, Wednesday, vowing to fight the Moon Jae-in administration and make a strong conservative party to win the general election in 2020 and presidential election in 2022.
“If we cannot hold the Moon Jae-in government in check, it will be hard to win next year's general election. A large victory in the elections would provide a stepping stone for a victory in the presidential election.”
Criticizing his strongest contender Hwang Kyo-ahn, a former prime minister who announced his bid for the leadership Tuesday, Hong said he will seek innovation to combat factional divides inside the party by forming a reform committee.
Hong, a former governor of South Gyeongsang Province, decided to join the leadership race to prevent loyalists of former President Park Geun-hye taking over the party, saying “When I struggled to revive the party with its members, people who ignored that came back to ruin the party again.”
Hwang, who was a key aide to the ousted President Park, is allegedly backed by Park's loyalist and support base. The LKP's national convention is scheduled to be held Feb. 27 to elect a new leader and other members of its decision-making Supreme Council. The LKP leadership post has been vacant since Hong stepped down to take responsibility for the party's defeat in the June 2018 local election.
Hwang emerged as the most favored LKP presidential hopeful in a recent survey despite criticism over his connection with Park. He is also embroiled in a controversy over his eligibility to run for leadership of the party.
Hwang and former Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, another contender, are expanding their political activities at the party's regional branches to attract more support ahead of the upcoming election.
The former prime minister visited Pyeongtaek in Gyeonggi Province to look at the wreckage of the South Korean warship Cheonan at the Navy's 2nd Fleet Command, implying he would be strong against the North. The ship was split in two by a North Korean torpedo attack near the inter-Korean maritime border in the Yellow Sea in March 2010. The attack killed 46 of its 104 crew.
Oh, who is expected to announce his entry into the election battle in the near future, visited Wonju in Gangwon Province to meet LKP members there.
Oh stressed his role in attracting more centrist voters to regain power in the general election and presidential election. “There is no change in people's attitude in the capital region,” he said. “The party would lose the general election if it were held now.”
Media reports suggest Oh can expand the party's presence and win more votes from moderates.