More on the Uri Crackup

A “Young Turks” faction is challenging Roh for control over the Uri party:

As main players during 1970s and 1980s activism against military regimes, this faction has purposely remained separate from President Roh Moo-hyun and his supporters. After Mr. Roh took office, they were ousted from the party mainstream, as the president’s close aides exerted more influence within the party. Now taking the crushing by-election defeat as a call to arms, they are raising voices against the president and his faction.
. . . .

Lawmaker Moon Hak-jin, one such member, stated “The president is not God,” during Friday’s party conference. Woo Won-shik, another lawmaker, called for revamping the Blue House secretariat and the cabinet. Another said yesterday, “It’s now an all or nothing game, regardless of what President Roh has to say.”

I’m not sure how this group differs from Roh ideologically, since associations are not beliefs, but hat set them off–and understandably, even from a sane person’s perspective–was Roh’s zany idea of forming a coalition with the GNP.

Uri isn’t the only party to have its leadership ousted over the last election result:

Political observers say the Democratic Labor Party’s defeat in Ulsan was particularly shocking. Jeong Gap-deuk, the Democratic Labor candidate, is the former leader of the Hyundai Motor’s union, which backed the progressive party at the 2004 legislative elections.

“After analyzing the by-election outcome, we learned that the Democratic Labor Party has no appeal to voters outside the working class,” a party official said. “That means we are simply not competitive in other districts.”

Yes, that whole “dictatorship of the proletariat” thing can limit your support outside the proletariat.

In yesterday’s media briefing, Ms. Kim also said, “It is natural that diverse opinions exist inside a progressive political party but sometimes such opinions have prompted confusion and political setbacks for the party. That also contributed to the defeat in Ulsan.”

Just wait until the revolution, you splitters! We will mercillessly crush all flunkeys of splittism like the tiger crushes the rat!