Newest GNP member plans to launch a policy research center for foreign affairs and unification next month
Hankyoreh, January 30, 2008
The Grand National Party has chosen Chung Mong-joon, who joined the party just before the December 19 election, as the newest elected member of its Supreme Council in a meeting held yesterday. Prior to his election to the top post, Chung met with President-elect Lee Myung-bak to give a briefing on his recent trip to the United States as a specially-appointed envoy. Unlike meetings held with the five other envoys appointed by the president-elect, including former party Chairwoman Park Geun-hye and present party Vice Chairman Lee Sang-deuk, Chung and the president-elect reportedly held a closed-door meeting, causing some to speculate that the two might have discussed Chung’s future role within the party.
Many political analysts say that the meeting Chung had with U.S. President George Bush during his trip and his election to the Supreme Council are a good start on his journey to becoming a potential candidate for leading the conservative party. Against this backdrop, Chung is to launch a policy research center dealing with diplomacy, unification, and national security next month, for which he will serve as the honorary director. That move has led many observers to speculate that he may be preparing for an ambitious political future.
“The party is in the process of finalizing its plans for the April parliamentary elections. Whatever needs to be done, I will do my best,” Chung told reporters before his election to the Supreme Council. When asked whether he will make a bid for the party chairmanship in July, when the GNP’s general convention is scheduled to take place, Chung declined to comment on the possibility, saying, “It wouldn’t be appropriate to talk about that at this point, since I have just joined the party.” Some say that he may want to campaign nationwide for party colleagues running for the parliamentary elections in April.
Former GNP Chairwoman Park and Lee Jae-oh, a former Supreme Council member, are watching Chung closely, as they may face a future battle for the party’s top position. Lee, who withdrew his bid for Supreme Council membership at last minute, congratulated Chung on his election to the post but declined to answer questions about his own future plans. A close aide to Park said, cautiously, “We need to wait and see whether Chung can secure enough of a foothold within the party to compete with Park during the next five years.” President-elect Lee Myung-bak, who was elected in December and will be inaugurated on February 25, will serve a single, five-year term as president of South Korea, which is the maximum term permitted by law.
Some experts see Chung’s joining the GNP as a move to build the necessary political ground for a presidential bid, following two failed attempts at election in 1992 and 2002. Under these circumstances, Chung could clash head-on with Lee in his attempts to take over the party leadership in July, the experts noted.
GNP lawmaker Park Hee-tae, who helped Chung gain party membership, said, “In order to emerge as a candidate for the presidency in five years, it is necessary to break ground within the party. The ‘screening’ process has now begun - to determine (whether Chung is) a politician that people can trust.”
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