By Chung Min-uck
The main opposition Democratic United Party (DUP) tapped Kang Chul-kyu, president of Woosuk University in North Jeolla Province, Wednesday, as the chairman of the party’s candidate-screening committee ahead of the April 11 general election.
The appointment came one day after the ruling Grand National Party announced an 11-member committee led by prosecutor-turned-lawyer Jung Hong-won.
Kang, 67, a former professor of economics at the University of Seoul, has been actively involved in social movements dealing with corruption in the nation’s economic sector, and reforming the structure of family-owned conglomerates.
He is a founding member of the Citizens’ Coalition for Economic Justice, a civic group established in 1989 to help fix structural problems in the nation’s economy, and to engage citizens to take part in movements for economic reform.
From 2002 through 2003, Kang also served as the head of the governmental anti-corruption committee under the former Kim Dae-jung administration.
After the late President Roh Moo-hyun took office in February 2003, he was appointed chief of the Fair Trade Commission. The university president is the only person to have completed a three-year term as head of the commission.
During Kang’s term as a public official, Han Myeong-sook, DUP chairwoman, served as minister for gender equality and environment under the same administration.
He took up his post as Woosuk University president last year.
“Kang has been committed to the principle of uprightness and anti-corruption,”Han said at a Supreme Council meeting Wednesday. “He is the most suitable figure to lead the DUP’s reform in selection based on his career experience.”
Insiders say the appointment comes in line with the current social trend of criticizing big conglomerates regarding widening social inequality. Political parties have been taking advantage of the situation to better their chances of winning in the upcoming elections.
“I didn’t come to the party just to run errands. I want to select candidates based on my philosophy, belief and principle,” said Kang during a press conference after being appointed to head the committee.
He also added that he wants to see candidates who can make policies that can reform big conglomerates.
Insiders also say appointing an outside figure who is not affiliated with the DUP aims to prevent a possible factional dispute during candidate selection.
The DUP was launched last December through the merger of three major liberal entities — the former main opposition Democratic Party, the Citizens Unity Party, a party consisting of the late Roh’s aides, and the Federation of Korean Trade Unions, the nation’s largest umbrella labor group.
The DUP is to finalize the screening committee by Friday. According to Shin Kyoung-min, DUP spokesman, the party is to select half out of more than a dozen members from outside the party.
“The most important standard in choosing committee members is whether they are trusted by the public,” said Shin.
In line with the launch of the committee, the main opposition party plans to announce specific rules for selecting parliamentary candidates.