Lee Hyo-jin covers the Bank of Korea, the banking industry and broader financial news. Her previous beats include foreign affairs, North Korea and general reporting on Korean society.
DPK's veteran politicians embark on different paths
Rep. Kim Young-joo, a former member of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), puts on a red jacket, the symbolic color of the ruling People Power Party (PPP), during a ceremony welcoming her to the party at the National Assembly in Seoul, Monday. Joint Press Corps
By Lee Hyo-jin
Im Jong-seok stays, while Kim Young-joo leaves party in wake of nomination feud
Two veteran politicians from the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), both of whom have been disqualified from candidacy for the general elections amid a nomination feud within the party, are going in noticeably different directions.
One has departed to align with a rival party, while the other has opted to remain — making contrasting decisions with just 40 days left until the April 10 general elections.
Rep. Kim Young-joo, a four-term lawmaker and deputy National Assembly speaker, joined the rival ruling People Power Party (PPP), Monday, after leaving the DPK a couple of weeks ago.
"A politician should work for the nation's development and improving the quality of life for the people. Political activities should not be used as tools to gain personal interests," Kim said during the PPP's welcoming ceremony at the National Assembly in Seoul.
Her remarks were apparently targeted at DPK leader Rep. Lee Jae-myung, whom she has been criticizing for wielding too much power in choosing the party's candidates purely for his own interests.
Wearing a red jacket, the symbolic color of the conservative party, Kim accepted flowers from Han Dong-hoon, interim leader of the PPP. Han touted Kim as a "reasonable politician with common sense," and said that her thoughts align closely with his party's.
Kim bolted from the DPK in late February after being ranked in the bottom 20 percent regarding the evaluation of the legislative performance of lawmakers, an appraisal that would have significantly lowered her chances of winning the party's primaries.
It is likely the PPP will nominate Kim as the party's candidate representing a constituency in Seoul's Yeongdeungpo District, her stronghold where she previously won four elections.
Im Jong-seok, former presidential chief of staff to former President Moon Jae-in, greets citizens during a canvassing event at Wangsimni Station in eastern Seoul's Seongdong District, Wednesday. Yonhap
On the other hand, Im Jong-seok, another prominent DPK figure who has clashed with the party leadership over candidate nominations, chose to remain with the party despite disagreements over his nomination cut-off.
"I accept the party's decision," Im, a former presidential chief of staff to former President Moon Jae-in, wrote on Facebook, Monday morning.
The brief message was interpreted as an announcement that he would stay with the DPK. Just last week, Im requested the party's Supreme Council to reconsider its decision to eliminate him as the candidate nominee for Seoul's Jung-Seongdong district, where he served two previous terms.
However, the party did not retract its decision.
Lee expressed gratitude for Im's decision, reiterating his stance that it was a strategic decision for the party to nominate Jeon Hyeon-heui, former head of the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission, instead of Im.
Although Kim and Im are both seasoned politicians, their decisions carry differing weight, said Park Sang-byeong, a political analyst and professor at Inha University.
"Kim's influence within the DPK is perceived to be lower than Im's. The latter is a prominent figure with aspirations to assume the party leadership and potentially become a presidential candidate," Park said.
Had Im departed the DPK to join the Saemirae Party, a newly launched political entity by former DPK leader Lee Nak-yon, it would have triggered a wave of defections and potentially led to a split within the party, the analyst noted.
"The DPK has averted the worst-case scenario thanks to Im's decision to stay. As for Kim, her departure from the party is perceived to be solely for electoral purposes," Park said, expressing skepticism that her joining the PPP will resonate with voters.