Rival parties set up election camps to prepare for full-fledged campaigns

Main opposition People Power Party's presidential candidate Yoon Seok-youl, center, speaks during a Supreme Council meeting of the party at the National Assembly in Seoul, Monday. Joint Press Corps

By Jung Da-min

The country's two major parties are preparing to begin full-fledged campaigns for the next presidential election slated for March, with the rival candidates, Yoon Seok-youl of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) and Lee Jae-myung of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), in the final stages of organizing their election camps.

While Yoon has scouted political heavyweights in an attempt to expand his support base, Lee is set to reform the party's election camp by reducing its scale to make it slimmer and more agile.

On Sunday, Yoon officially announced the appointment of Kim Chong-in, former head of the PPP's emergency committee, as his election committee chief; Kim Byong-joon, former interim chief of the Liberty Korea Party, a predecessor of the PPP, as standing committee co-chairman along with party leader Lee Jun-seok; and Kim Han-gil, former leader of the Democratic Party, a predecessor of the DPK, as chairman of the so-called New Era Preparatory Committee, a separate unit aimed at winning support from centrists and liberals.

Kim Chong-in, Kim Byong-joon and Kim Han-gil joining Yoon's election campaign is an outright move to appeal to supporters of the country's liberal bloc, as all of them were once politicians in the liberal bloc but switched sides and joined the conservatives.

As all three are veteran politicians with years of experience in party management and state affairs, they are expected to provide backing for Yoon who has very little political experience.

"I believe they have built close relationships with each other and can communicate actively," Yoon told reporters. As to further appointments to his election camp, Yoon said he would pick people who have high political and administrative abilities and can help present a blueprint for the country's future.

Ruling Democratic Party of Korea presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung speaks during a meeting with members of the Federation of Korean Trade Unions (FKTU) held at the FKTU headquarters in Seoul's Yeongdeungpo District, Monday. Joint Press Corps

The DPK and its candidate Lee are preparing for an overall reform to address earlier concerns that the size of its camp was too big with too many members to give swift responses to pending matters.

On Saturday, Rep. Kim Du-kwan, a two-term lawmaker, announced his resignation from the co-chairman post of Lee's election committee, calling on other lawmakers to join his move to make it slimmer and conduct election campaigns in their own constituencies from "outside" to help spread Lee's message. On the following day, Rep. Lee Kwang-jae, a three-term lawmaker, also tendered his resignation as co-chairman. There had been a total of 12 co-chairmen before the lawmakers' resignations.

The DPK leadership has said it will give all the authority to Lee to carry out overall reform of his election camp.

On Monday, Lee said on Facebook: "I will initiate a whole new DPK, to respond to people's call for change, innovation and reform."

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