LKP has slim chance of reform

By Choi Ha-young

Hong Joon-pyo, newly elected chairman of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party (LKP), has vowed to rebuild the party that was hit hard by former President Park Geun-hye’s corruption scandal. But chances for fundamental change seem slim given the lingering influence of the Park loyalists.

Members of the LKP’s newly formed Supreme Council, a decision-making body, decided to organize renovation and ethics committees as their first tasks Tuesday, after they were elected the previous day.

Hong, who beat pro-Park rival Rep. Won Yoo-chul and clinched the leadership with a landslide victory, also said that he will exclude pro-Park figures from the party’s core posts. “The renovation committee, consisting of outsiders, will screen those related to the influence-peddling scandal,” the tough-talking anti-Park figure said.

But two of the four Supreme Council members ― Lee Jae-man and Rep. Kim Tae-heum ― are from the pro-Park faction. Another council member Rep. Lee Cheol-woo is a former National Intelligence Service officer. He is famous for his hawkish stance against North Korea and has allegedly spearheaded "McCarthyist" tactics against liberal politicians.

The other member Ryu Yeo-hae drew public attention for her eccentric behavior during the election. Although she is branded as a pro-Hong member, she has actively advocated for the disgraced former president through the party’s podcast program.

The number of pro-Park members is small compared to the former council formed in August last year when it was led by former party Chairman Lee Jung-hyun, a staunch Park loyalist, and the whole council was dominated by the pro-Park faction.

However, the ideological gap between Hong and the pro-Park group is not so palpable, thus there won’t be visible change in the party’s policy lines said Yoon Tae-gon, senior political analyst at The MOA Agenda & Strategy.

“It’s hard to say whether Hong is less conservative or more reformist than pro-Park lawmakers,” Yoon said. “There could be fights for hegemony between Hong and the pro-Park faction. However, Hong doesn’t have enough loyalists to replace the pro-Park figures in party posts.”

Therefore, Hong’s remarks to reform the party by excluding pro-Park lawmakers could be an empty threat without available action plans. “Further, most of the pro-Park lawmakers have already stepped back from significant posts. There are some pro-Park individuals but they are not so influential without the head of the faction, meaning Park,” Yoon added.

The party’s daily meeting Tuesday was not so different from the previous ones. Hong vowed that he will not recklessly oppose what the Moon Jae-in government does, but party floor leader Chung Woo-taik remained stern against Moon’s picks for ministers. Chung defined newly-appointed Education Minister Kim Sang-gon as a “socialist,” echoing a Cold War-style confrontation.