ed Undoing Roh vestiges

The elimination of Lee Hae-chan, who served as prime minister for the late former president Roh Moo-hyun, from the Minjoo Party of Korea’s election candidates is a meaningful step toward revamping the main opposition. Interim leader Kim Jong-in has made a necessary response to the people’s call to do away with the traces of pro-Roh dominance and keep the party moving forward.

The party's decision to deny Lee candidacy in his constituency of Sejong, the nation's administrative capital, has triggered a backlash from the pro-Roh faction. But eliminating Lee and other heavyweights among Roh loyalists, including fifth-term lawmaker Moon Hee-sang, should be an occasion to accelerate opposition reform. For this, weeding out incompetent incumbent lawmakers and expanding chances for capable rookies is essential.

The people want to see the main opposition represented by fresh faces and competent experts in the parliamentary race, rather than uninspiring veterans. Lee should have accepted the party’s decision; but instead, the six-term lawmaker has announced his departure from the party to run as an independent. In doing so, he claimed he was indispensable for Sejong’s development, but that is for the people to judge. The announcement shows that he is only interested in his own political future.

The pro-Roh faction, defined by its culture of protest and opposition dating back to its background in student activism, has alienated supporters even in the party’s stronghold in Gwangju, the center of Korea’s liberal politics.

The voters’ discontent with the pro-Roh faction was evident in the party’s successive election failures under the leadership of former Chairman Moon Jae-in, who was a close aide to Roh. It has been the people’s wish to see an opposition that is capable of competing with the ruling party on policies. They no longer want to see a party swayed by factional and regional rivalry.

Kim was a controversial pick to lead the main opposition after Moon’s departure, given his ties to the Chun Doo-hwan regime and his experience as an economic advisor to President Park Geun-hye. But so far, he has done a better job than the ruling Saenuri Party in the management of candidate nominations for the April 13 general election to fill 300 parliamentary seats. He should continue to do what he was asked to do, by conducting candidate nominations on the basis of performance and expertise, and lay the groundwork for a policy-oriented party.