It is no exaggeration to say the opposition in Korea is in disarray. The main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy is struggling with successive election defeats, internal strife, frequent leadership changes and sagging popularity.
Then came the dissolution of the splinter leftist Unified Progressive Party, which is expected to touch off a realignment of the liberal and progressive political forces, and more broadly the opposition camp.
Related to the latest developments, a senior NPAD member, Chung Dong-young ― the party’s presidential candidate in the 2007 election ― plans to leave the party and join a third group of progressives.
Chung’s move is unlikely to trigger a massive desertion from the NPAD, but it symbolizes the crisis facing the party, which has long represented liberal voices in the country and holds the second-largest number of seats in the Assembly.
The national convention scheduled for Feb. 8, when the party will elect its new leader, should provide the momentum to help the NPAD shake itself out of the crisis and make a fresh start ahead of the 2016 parliamentary elections and the 2017 presidential elections.
As things stand, it is unlikely that the leadership race will play out in that way. On the contrary, it seems destined to deepen problems in the party, not least factional strife.
The race for the party’s top post has become a two-way fight between two members of the old guard ― former presidential candidate Moon Jae-in and former floor leader Park Jie-won. There are three more candidates ― Lee In-young, Cho Kyoung-tae and Park Joo-sun ― but all are underdogs.
Both Moon and Park are seen as old guard members not because of their ages ― Moon is 61 and Park 72 ― but because they are associated with the governments of past presidents ― Roh Moo-hyun and Kim Dae-jung ― and they have entrenched themselves in the party establishment.
Thus it came as no surprise when a group of 30 lawmakers demanded publicly that the two and Chung Se-kyun, another potential contender, give way to a younger generation of leaders.
One of the lawmakers even compared the veteran politicians to “organized crime bosses engaged in a turf war.” Chung gave in, but Moon and Park persisted.
As the critics say, Moon and Park represent the party’s two major factions ― one associated with Roh and the other consisting of members from the southeastern region with ties to the late President Kim Dae-jung.
Critics of Moon and Park oppose their candidacy not only because of the high likelihood that a duel between them will only deepen the divide in the party. They also raise questions about the two candidates’ individual suitability.
Moon, who lost the 2012 election to President Park Geun-hye, has the image of a radical politician. He alienated moderate voters from the party by holding a hunger strike in support of hard-liners over the push for the legislation of a special bill on the sinking of the Sewol ferry.
Moon’s left-leaning position ― including his opposition to the Constitutional Court’s ruling to disband the UPP ― also adds to public suspicion about its ties to left-wing extremists.
Park, a preacher of his former boss’ engagement policy with North Korea, is also seen by many as a North Korea sympathizer. His implication in several bribery cases ― he is currently facing trial for three of them ― also taints his image as an opposition leader.
All in all, whoever wins is unlikely to become a leader who is respected and supported by the majority of party members, let alone the general public. Both Moon and Park should heed this public sentiment and try to shape the campaign as a process to heal the internal strife and provide a vision to regain public trust for the party. We advise this because a healthy opposition is essential for a healthy democracy.
