Ruling Uri Party looks at possibilities for reform

Uri chairman Chung Dong-young, center, may face hard times after the local elections. Yonhap News

With future dim, options are weighed

Political observers are busily analyzing the reality of a "unity of all democratic reformist forces," which several Uri Party members have called for in the anticipation of a crushing defeat for their party in this week’s regional elections.

The Uri members pushing for this coalition, which would most likely combine their party and the Democratic Party (DP), say one large goal is to consolidate party leadership. People have blamed Uri’s low popularity on the lack of "a core" to mobilize supporters. Despite Uri chairman Chung Dong-young’s recent return to the political scene as presidential candidate, they say that more must be done.

A ruling party official said, "If the party meets a crushing defeat in the May 31 local elections, the new generation politicians, who maintain the theory that party members in their 40s should lead the party, may demand a large-scale shakeup of the party. They may consider candidates Kang Keum-sil, former justice minister, and Chin Dae-je, former minister of information and communication, as new alternatives." This sentiment is echoed by other party members: if good leaders do not exist within the party, they must be sought outside of the party.

Another goal for the party reforms is political realignment. The first target is former prime minister Goh Kun and the ideas of his party, the DP. A newly-elected member of the ruling Uri Party said, "It is said that 8-9 lawmakers of Uri Party are associated with the ’Goh Kun camp’ directly or indirectly, and that figure may increase after the election results." He predicted that lawmakers largely from the Jeolla provinces would join the Goh camp.

Others think changing the profile of party membership would breathe new life into the party. "In order to avoid the collapse of the party, it should construct a strong front and bring in new reformist blood," an advisor of the governing party said. "However, the matter of bringing in outside persons is limited, because there is almost no one left to bring in. We should be watching [the moves of] a group of reformist professionals," he said, but worried that said reformists had not yet matured politically.

If GNP Seoul Mayor Lee Myung-bak loses his bid for the presidential candidacy, some have suggested the Uri Party form an alliance with alienated GNP forces, but the possibility for this, experts say, is low.