Legislator Continues to Slam Party

Representative Kim Keun-tae of the ruling Millennium Democratic Party, a vocal party dissident who has called for the dissolution of the Donggyo-dong faction, did not attend the party's Supreme Council meeting, instead saying on a radio talk show Thursday that all official party meetings are mere "rubber-stamps."

"If the party does not adjust and make changes when it has to, there will be great chaos in state and political affairs," said Mr. Kim, who is considered a contender for the party's presidential nomination next year. "The party should open itself to differences and bipartisanship."

He said the Donggyo-dong faction "meets often, and even if they do not meet in person, they discuss over the phone who to put in key party posts or who to field in constituencies."

The party leadership, under steward of the new party chairman, Han Kwang-ok, expressed concern over Mr. Kim's continued resistance to the party line and calls for the dissolution of the faction, a core group of President Kim Dae-jung's long-time supporters. Representative Chung Dai-chul and Chang Eul-byung, who is not an elected official, also did not attend the Supreme Council meeting.

by Lee Yang-soo