People's Party names Rep. Park as floor leader

By Yi Whan-woo

Rep. Park Jie-won

Rep. Park Jie-won, an aide to the late President Kim Dae-jung, has been named floor leader of the minor opposition People’s Party.

He won unanimous approval for the post at a party meeting, Wednesday.

Park, 73, was elected to a fourth term in the April 13 general election.

The People’s Party won the status of a parliamentary negotiating bloc, securing 38 of 300 seats that were up for grabs in the election ― well above the required minimum of 20 lawmakers.

“The outgoing 19th National Assembly was most unproductive,” he said in an acceptance speech during a meeting of the party’s lawmakers-elect in Yangpyeong, Gyeonggi Province. “The checks-and-balances we provide as a negotiating bloc is needed when negotiating with the ruling Saenuri Party and the main opposition Minjoo Party of Korea (MPK). I will try my best to help the parliament become reborn as a productive, hard-working legislative body for the people.”

He also said he will put priority on economic issues.

Park was re-elected from his Mokpo, South Jeolla Province, after bolting from the MPK and joining the People’s Party along with other MPK lawmakers in January.

He served as floor leader of the Democratic Party in 2010 and the Democratic United Party in 2012.

The People’s Party also appointed Kim Sung-sik, a lawmaker-elect from Seoul’s Gwanak-A district, as its chief policymaker.

The party scrapped its plans to hold a national convention in August to chose its new leadership and decided to maintain its co-chairmen ― Reps. Ahn Cheol-soo and Chun Jung-bae ― until the end of this year.