By Kwaak Je-yup
The National Future Institute, a think tank for Rep. Park Geun-hye of the ruling Grand National Party (GNP), and the base for her likely presidential campaign platform next year, is expected to meet on July 2 at COEX in Samseong-dong, Seoul.
The event will allow a sneak peek at the policies that the strongest-yet-presidential bidder will pursue. Park, former party chairwoman, is leading among presidential bidders for the next presidential election in December 2012 with a support range in the mid-30 percent.
The first-ever meeting marks six months of research by professors and experts in 18 policy areas, since the group’s founding last year on Dec. 27.
The event takes place two days before the GNP convention, where they will elect new party leaders, and is believed to flag her return to a prominent policy-shaping role after the National Assembly’s extra session in June. In her recent meeting with President Lee Myung-bak, Park vowed to “do (her) best for the party and the nation.” Following her party’s defeat at the April 27 by-elections, Park first came forward in early May and said that she would do her part to lead the party to victory at the general elections in April as well as the December presidential election.
She will open the meeting with remarks and also take the opportunity to meet new researchers who have joined since the think tank’s establishment. Membership has swollen almost threefold from 78 to over 200. The names on the membership include Rep. Lee Hahn-koo and Prof. Kim Gwang-doo of Sogang University.
For the last six months, members have met two or three times a week at the institute, located in Mapo, Seoul. At this assembly, they are to report on the progress of research in respective responsible policy areas, sharing ideas and enabling coordination between different fields, laying a firm foundation for Park’s possible presidential campaign platform.