Category: Korean Politics

It lost all four contests in yesterday’s bi-election. Three seats went to the GNP; one to a Democratic Party candidate who spearheaded his party’s effort to impeach Roh: The ruling Uri Party suffered another crushing defeat in Wednesday’s parliamentary by-elections. No Uri Party candidates won in the four constituencies of Seongbuk-eul and Songpa-gap, both in Seoul, Sosa in Gyeonggi Province and Masan-gap in South Gyeongsang Province. That means the ruling party has secured no seat in parliamentary by-elections since 2005....

“If the public does not need me anymore, I have no chance, no matter how hard I try. I will look at myself with the public’s perspective ….” — Comrade Chung Dong Young is feeling sorry for himself. Awwww. Well, I can’t speak for the public’s perspective, but I’m sure Kim Jong Il’s gave him a great view of the top of Comrade Chung’s head. Go get a real job, loser.

Kang Jae-Sup, a protege of Park Geun-Hye, has been elected to succeed Park as Chairman of the Grand National Party (Conservative Opposition). Kang narrowly bested his main rival, Lee Jae-Oh, a protege of Park’s main political rival, Seoul mayor Lee Myung Bak. Lee and Park, the daughter of long-time military dictator Gen. Park Chung-Hee, are competing for the GNP nomination for the 2007 presidential election. Park’s own GNP chairmanship was criticized for its absence of affirmative principle and reliance on...

Roh is at 14%, Uri at 12.

From the Joongang Ibo: The rift between Roh Moo-hyun and the members of his own party continued to grow yesterday, as one party official who would not be named said he believes half of the Uri Party members are thinking about forming a new party. Another option is that President Roh, who created the Uri Party, will now leave it in the wake of the devastating losses that the party took last week. Another option is that Roh will resign...

Scroll down for more as the Uri Party breaks into open rebellion and Park Geun-Hye reaps a bounce from her party’s big win.

Every Korean election year, the political parties’ festering grudges and tribal feuds, catalyzed by ambition, render the entire Korean political party system unstable. Parties shatter into mercurial gobs, collide, and reform. — OFK, 5 January 2006 The first test tube hit the laboratory floor today: Goh Kun made it clear on Thursday that he intended to run for the presidency, and the reaction in political circles has been swift. Especially with the Uri Party in disarray after its drubbing in...

[Update 5 Jun 06: Uri appears to be dissolving over a proposed merger with the Democratic Party. Scroll down for more.] Here is the most remarkable demographic trend of the week: Mr. Roh and Uri also seem to have lost the young vote. About half of Koreans in their 20s supported the Grand National Party, as did half of those in their 30s. The real action now centers around Korea’s political left and right, with the left being much more...