A special reform committee of the Unified Progressive Party has identified a set of core tasks the beleaguered party should carry out to shake off its pro-Pyongyang image and regain voter confidence.
First of all, the committee urged the left-wing party to unequivocally state its stance on three North Korea-related issues ― Pyongyang’s nuclear weapons programs, its human rights violations, and third-generation power succession ― because a political party should not avoid public scrutiny on its ideologies.
The committee declared opposition to the North’s nuclear ambitions, saying that its nuclear weapons programs pose a realistic threat to the South.
Describing the North’s human rights conditions as extremely dire, the panel stressed that its human rights violations could not be justified by its peculiar situation.
Regarding the father-to-son power succession in the North, the committee said the phenomenon must be criticized based on the principles of democracy.
But it argued that it would be unwise of the South Korean government and political parties to lead the charge against it as they needed to engage the communist regime for peace and unification.
The reform committee also called for reformulation of the party’s stance on the U.S. military presence in the South as it caused unnecessary misunderstandings.
According to the committee, the party’s platform calls for the abolition of the South Korea-U.S. military alliance and the withdrawal of American troops after peace and denuclearization have been achieved on the Korean Peninsula and in Northeast Asia. But the party has been erroneously portrayed as demanding an immediate troop withdrawal and end to the alliance.
The reform committee’s condemnation of the North’s nuclear programs, human rights violations and dynastic power succession is in sharp contrast to the party’s previous endorsement of the Pyongyang regime’s assertions on these issues.
The shift in ideological position is late but welcome. But the problem is that the proposed change could be scrapped if the allegedly pro-Pyongyang factions of the party seize power again by winning the imminent election for a new party leader.
The crunch election, slated for June 25-30, is a two way competition between Kang Ki-gap, who now heads the party’s reform-minded emergency leadership council, and Kang Byeong-gi, who represents the former mainstream factions.
Electing a new party leader is an issue left totally to the party’s members. But they should think hard before casting their ballots. They need to clearly realize that their party has no future unless they manage to break loose from the grip of pro-Pyongyang forces. They need to recreate a party that can live up the expectations of their supporters.
