The United Liberal Democrats (ULD) are gone as a political party 11 years after their founding, having decided to merge with the Grand National Party (GNP). It was a "supermini" minority party with only one member, Kim Hak Won, in the National Assembly, and so having at least what is officially being called a one-on-one merger between the two is somewhat awkward, but both sides probably have calculated intentions and it is not something for others to debate. Nothing smelled of a suspicious deal so there is no need to measure the move's morality, and the question of whether or not it will bring with it the political synergy the GNP wants in time for regional elections coming May 31 is one to be decided by the voters.
The merger restructures the political landscape along natural lines, because the ULD and the GNP are the closest two parties when it comes to policies and their members' tastes. Furthermore, with Kim Jong Pil retired from politics, Kim Hak Won's roots are really closer to the GNP. He entered politics by joining the GNP when it was the Democratic Liberal Party (DLP) and was elected to the National Assembly when it was known as the New Korea Party (NKP).
However, they are merging supposedly to "prevent leftist elements from taking power," and that red-baiting is both outdated and disingenuous. When Kim Jong Pil left the DLP in 1995 to form the ULD and thereby maintain his political influence, he did so betting mainly on region-specific support from north and south Chungcheong. When the party was issued a political death certificate in the 2004 National Assembly election it was only a matter of time before it disappeared forever.
That is why in its explanation about the merger the ULD should have apologized to the country for the harm it did with its regionalist politics. By doing so would it not at least provide a lesson to be learned to small political parties with dreams of similarly taking advantage of regional sentiments? The GNP, for its part, needs to draw a clear line between it and regionalism instead of acting so happy about the ULD's "surrender."
The Hankyoreh, 21 February 2006.
[Translations by Seoul Selection]
[Editorial] The ULD and Regionalist Politics |
