Kim steps down amid conflicts over policy direction, nominations


A key member of the ruling party’s emergency council resigned Thursday amid controversy over party reform and nominations.

But he pledged to support Rep. Park Geun-hye, chairwoman of the Saenuri Party, if she runs for president in the year-end election.

“Now that the party’s election campaign committee has kicked off, my role in the emergency leadership council is done,” Kim Chong-in said Thursday, confirming his resignation.

“I would have made my move on Jan. 31 when the nomination screening committee was launched, but stayed upon Rep. Park’s request.”

The senior member of the reform committee has often been at the center of conflict within the party over the direction of reforms and the candidate-screening rules.

Though he refrained from detailing what role he might have in the presidential race in December, Kim confirmed his continuing allegiance to Park.

Observers largely interpret his resignation as a display of discontent with the party’s candidate-nomination process.

The economist and former liberal lawmaker, who was named to the panel late last year to lead the party’s policy reform, had sought economic democratization as a major agenda.

However, the party has largely failed to meet expectations, he said.

“The party should choose its candidates more carefully in the direction of confirming its leadership and appealing to voters ahead of the elections,” he said.

“Few among the selected candidates are in line with policies which the party pursues.”

His criticism seems targeted at nominated supporters of President Lee Myung-bak. They make up one of two factions in Saenuri, the other being loyal to Park.

Kim had since his appointment stressed that the ruling party should cut ties with the incumbent administration and recruit innovative new figures from outside to achieve party reform. Saenuri has been criticized by opposition parties for favoring those who are socially and economically privileged.

Despite his call for a break with the Lee government, the party recently nominated Lee Man-woo, professor at Korea University and key architect of the president’s economic policies, as a proportional representative aspirant.

“The party seems to have lost the sense of emergency and keeps returning to its old self,” Kim also said.

“Rep. Park is a mild-mannered and reserved character, who prioritizes peace and harmony, but I had hoped that her drives for renewal would be stronger.”

By Bae Hyun-jung (tellme@heraldcorp.com)