Shuffling Brass Part of Ruling Party Strategy For Elections

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Shuffling Brass Part of Ruling Party Strategy For Elections

A senior official of the ruling Millennium Democratic Party said Thursday a personnel shuffle involving three key party leaders may take place before the October 25 by-elections. The three reportedly are Prime Minister Lee Han-dong, the party chairman, Kim Joong-kwon, and Han Kwang-ok, Blue House chief of staff.

The official said that during his vacation President Kim Dae-jung will mull over strategies for the by-elections, the tax probe into newspaper companies and the September session of the National Assembly. He added that a growing chorus within the party is calling for personnel changes to reinvigorate the party's power structure.

The thorniest issue in the personnel reshuffle is whether Kim Joong-kwon will run for a National Assembly seat during the by-elections. The ruling party officially denies a Kim candidacy is likely, but one party official said a heavyweight like Mr. Kim should run to boost the party's chances.

In addition to Seoul's Guro B and Dongdaemun B electoral districts, where the incumbents have already lost their seats for illegal campaigning, Gangneung in Kangwon province, the Happo district in Masan, South Kyongsang province and the Jung-gu and Jongno districts in Seoul could also hold by-elections, depending on the outcome of court cases challenging the incumbents there. In such a scenario the by-elections could be an important barometer of public opinion before elections scheduled for next year, including the presidential vote.

If Mr. Kim runs for an Assembly seat, Mr. Han, the Blue House chief of staff, could take over as party chairman, a senior Blue House official said. The disadvantage of naming Mr. Han party chairman is that he is from South Cholla province, as is President Kim. In South Korea's regionally-based political system that could be seen as cronyism and work against the party in upcoming elections, the official said.

Separately, party insiders said Prime Minister Lee may resign over the tax investigation into his in-law, Kim Byung-kwan, the honorary chairman of the Dong-a Ilbo.



by Lee Yang-soo

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