By Kim Ji-soo
Defeated sweepingly by the ruling party, both these opposition parties have opted to reach back to the tried-and tested leaderships of the so-called "old boys" network in politics. When Ahn Cheol-soo of the Bareunmirae Party (BMP) and Hong Joon-pyo of the Liberty Korea Party (LKP) left their leadership posts in the wake of the June 13 local elections, a fresh set of upcoming leaders seemed all but poised to take the helm.
Four-term lawmaker Chung Dong-young has been elected the new leader of the minor opposition Party for Democracy and Peace (PDP). Chung served as unification minister in 2004 and 2005 under the late former President Roh Moo-hyun. Park Jie-won, a veteran politician affiliated with the PDP, said the comeback of the "old boys" in major political parties may well be a better way for the "rule of cooperation" between the presidential office and the political parties. Park made the statement in early August while appearing on state radio, even as he had opposed Chung for the leadership of his party.
The PDP is not alone. Veteran politician and political scientist Sohn Hak-kyu, 71, said that he would run for the BMP leadership. "Our BMP will aim for future-oriented not obsolete liberalism, a reformist conservatism not an outdated one. This is the path our party must follow," he said. "To sum up, our party should re-establish itself as a centrist-reform party that encompasses both future-looking liberalism and reformist conservatism."
The ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) will elect its new leader on Aug. 25, to succeed the outgoing Rep. Choo Mi-ae. Currently, three people are in the running ― veteran politician Lee Hae-chan who served as prime minister under the Roh Moo-hyun administration, former economy minister Kim Jin-pyo also under the Roh administration and the relatively young politician Rep. Song Yong-gil. A recent poll conducted by Realmeter showed Lee leading the race. If both Sohn and Lee are elected to respective party leadership positions, President Moon Jae-in may find it easier to talk and consult with both the ruling and opposition parties. The understanding in Korean politics is that veteran politicians are more versatile in the art of compromise.
The re-emergence of veteran politicians indicates that smaller parties are not only struggling to survive, but also that Korea's political parties have not had the time to nurture a broad base of next-generation political leaders. The few potential candidates the parties had all ran and lost in the May 2017 presidential election. They foremost include former chief Ahn. Once such a leader loses, it takes some time for them to make a comeback. The return of veterans also cautiously raises anticipation that they can counterbalance the relatively young, reform-minded secretaries at the presidential office.
All leading politicians in office or active have been inducted and trained under the so-called "Three Kims" ― former Presidents Kim Dae-jung and Kim Young-sam, and former Prime Minister Kim Jong-pil. With the death of Kim Jong-pil, the tradition of political bigwigs nurturing and forming political parties has become obsolete. And the parties once identified with a powerful one-man figure, and his lineage, must now contemplate a future where diverse parties will stand firmly on signature platforms with a procedural process to recruit and nurture next-generation politicians. Diversity is also vital in politics.
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Four-term lawmaker Chung Dong-young has been elected the new leader of the minor opposition Party for Democracy and Peace (PDP). Chung served as unification minister in 2004 and 2005 under the late former President Roh Moo-hyun. Park Jie-won, a veteran politician affiliated with the PDP, said the comeback of the "old boys" in major political parties may well be a better way for the "rule of cooperation" between the presidential office and the political parties. Park made the statement in early August while appearing on state radio, even as he had opposed Chung for the leadership of his party.
The PDP is not alone. Veteran politician and political scientist Sohn Hak-kyu, 71, said that he would run for the BMP leadership. "Our BMP will aim for future-oriented not obsolete liberalism, a reformist conservatism not an outdated one. This is the path our party must follow," he said. "To sum up, our party should re-establish itself as a centrist-reform party that encompasses both future-looking liberalism and reformist conservatism."
The ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) will elect its new leader on Aug. 25, to succeed the outgoing Rep. Choo Mi-ae. Currently, three people are in the running ― veteran politician Lee Hae-chan who served as prime minister under the Roh Moo-hyun administration, former economy minister Kim Jin-pyo also under the Roh administration and the relatively young politician Rep. Song Yong-gil. A recent poll conducted by Realmeter showed Lee leading the race. If both Sohn and Lee are elected to respective party leadership positions, President Moon Jae-in may find it easier to talk and consult with both the ruling and opposition parties. The understanding in Korean politics is that veteran politicians are more versatile in the art of compromise.
The re-emergence of veteran politicians indicates that smaller parties are not only struggling to survive, but also that Korea's political parties have not had the time to nurture a broad base of next-generation political leaders. The few potential candidates the parties had all ran and lost in the May 2017 presidential election. They foremost include former chief Ahn. Once such a leader loses, it takes some time for them to make a comeback. The return of veterans also cautiously raises anticipation that they can counterbalance the relatively young, reform-minded secretaries at the presidential office.
All leading politicians in office or active have been inducted and trained under the so-called "Three Kims" ― former Presidents Kim Dae-jung and Kim Young-sam, and former Prime Minister Kim Jong-pil. With the death of Kim Jong-pil, the tradition of political bigwigs nurturing and forming political parties has become obsolete. And the parties once identified with a powerful one-man figure, and his lineage, must now contemplate a future where diverse parties will stand firmly on signature platforms with a procedural process to recruit and nurture next-generation politicians. Diversity is also vital in politics.
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