Park hit for tapping old names
By Kang Hyun-kyung, Jun Ji-hye
Rep. Park Geun-hye, presidential candidate of the ruling Saenuri Party, has come under criticism for her “insensitivity” in reading the voter mind and dealing with campaign issues including naming personnel at key posts.
She has been turning a deaf ear to the call for campaign shake-up, drawing fire from within as this coincided with her controversial selection of a confidant to the late President Kim Dae-jung for a major campaign post.
On Friday, opponents alleged that Rep. Park didn’t even screen corrupt politicians since she stepped up effort to bring a group of people standing on the other end of political spectrum to her camp.
In an interview, Ahn Dae-hee, chairman of the ruling Saenuri Party’s committee on political reform, complained that he didn’t understand why Park invited people mired in corruption.
Ahn was referring to Han Kwang-ok, former presidential chief of staff to the late former President Kim. Han joined the Park camp as chairman of the unity committee designed to seek reconciliation with the victims of political repression under the late former President Park Chung-hee.
Ahn, a prosecutor-turned-Saenuri Party member, investigated the corruption case involving Han in 2003. Back then Han was accused of receiving money from people in the banking sector and then received a jail term after he was convicted.
Ahn’s criticism came amid the ruling Saenuri Party showing signs of being split regarding the calls for campaign shake-up.
During a closed-door meeting with the ruling party members held on Thursday, Rep. Yoo Seong-min was quoted as saying that a change is a must for the party to win the December presidential election.
Yoo called for leadership shake-up, alleging that both chairman and floor leader of the party were not strong enough to press ahead with the challenges ahead.
His call was ignored. Rep. Park said she didn’t feel the need for reshuffle.
On Friday, Rep. Yoo revealed frustration, saying Rep. Park seemed not to feel a sense of crisis on her presidential campaign.
Meanwhile, Han Kwang-ok said he decided to join the Park camp to end the deadly East-West voter divide and achieve unity.
He said he would play a role in wooing voters in Jeolla Province, the home turf of the main opposition Democratic United Party (DUP).
Han’s joining the Park camp drew keen attention because he has taken a very different path from the daughter of the late President Park.
Han was a democracy fighter in the 1970s when the late President Park was in office. Later the former four-term lawmaker had worked for another late President Kim Dae-jung, an iconic politician who suffered political repression under the Park regime. The late Kim served jail terms, and had been under house arrest and even kidnapped by spy agency people.
Han stood by the late Kim while he suffered the ordeals and served as chairman of the New Millennium Democratic Party (now the DUP).
His unusual joining the Park camp came two days after Rep. Park met him to ask him to join it.
Party insiders said there are some 20 or 30 more people, who had worked for the late former President Kim while he was in office, to join the Park camp.
It remains to be seen whether Park’s recruitment of aides of the late Kim would help her win hearts and minds of voters in Jeolla Province.