Kim Jong-in, chief of the Saenuri Party’s Special Committee to Pursue People’s Happiness. ( Yonhap News)
Ruling party launches team for nominee Park’s campaign manifesto
The Saenuri Party is cranking up its campaign machine while trying to dampen controversy over presidential nominee Park Geun-hye’s views on the rule of her father, former President Park Chung-hee.
The ruling party on Sunday named key members of its Special Committee to Pursue People’s Happiness, which is in charge of developing her presidential pledges.
The 18-member panel led by Kim Jong-in includes prominent politicians and outside experts, such as Kim Kwang-doo, chief of the National Future Research Center, the main economic think tank of the presidential hopeful.
The group will play a key role in crafting Park’s key agenda of economic democratization.
The panel was announced on the same day Rep. Moon Jae-in, a first-term lawmaker and close aide to former President Roh Moo-hyun, won the opposition Democratic United Party’s candidacy.
Professor Ahn Cheol-soo plans to hold a news conference on Wednesday in which he is expected to announce his presidential bid.
The Saenuri Party is seeking to gain an edge on key issues such as economic democratization before the Chuseok holidays at the end of the month.
The presidential frontrunner recently came under fire after she seemingly refused to criticize the execution of eight activists in 1975 under the rule of her deceased father.
Though her spokesperson later toned down her remarks, the candidate faced the intense criticism for supporting her father’s military rule.
Park also claimed earlier that the May 16 coup led by her father was an “inevitable choice for the sake of the country,” triggering a backlash from the opposition camp and civil society.
Her dilemma, however, is that speaking against her father’s legacy risks alienating a considerable proportion of her supporters who have nostalgia for his leadership.
Park’s strategy has been to dodge the historical issue and emphasize her down-to-earth policies, despite the DUP’s continuing offensives.
“Rep. Park should officially apologize to all the people of this country for the past military rule,” said spokesperson Rep. Jung Sung-ho on Monday.
Park and Moon currently face a tight race, not only because of Ahn, but also because of the upcoming Chuseok holidays, often a major turning point for public sentiment.
“The polls for Moon and Ahn will probably take an upturn this week, and Park may fall behind if she remains passive,” said Lee Taek-soo, director of pollster Realmeter.
“Besides turning the public’s attention to policy issues, she should also offer her apologies over the historic disputes and display her renewal efforts, in order to move forward.”
koreaherald@heraldcorp.com
