Back in Saddle, JP Takes Over Party Reins in Ride to Election

The United Liberal Democrats made Kim Jong-pil party president Tuesday at the party convention in Taegu. Mr. Kim had served as the party's honorary president.

As he accepted the appointment, Mr. Kim criticized President Kim Dae-jung's progressive views on North Korea, unification and the Korean War. He also proposed that the government switch to a parliamentary cabinet system.

"I cannot understand his remarks on the Korean War, casting the [South Korean] soldiers who fought for their country as anti-unification forces. It is incomprehensible and deplorable," Mr. Kim said.

Former President Kim Young-sam, who is expected to align with Mr. Kim of the United Liberal Democrats to possibly create a new conservative party, did not attend the convention. Instead, Representative Park Chong-ung of the Grand National Party read a congratulatory statement on behalf of the former president.

Mr. Kim, 75, formally retaking the helm of the party paves the way for the planned political realignment with the former president, political analysts said.

They added, however, that the perennial political boss has his work cut out for him. His party holds 15 seats in the National Assembly, five short of qualifying as parliamentary negotiating group in the 273-seat assembly. That means he works with a smaller government subsidy than other parties.

Mr. Kim also suffers, analysts said, from a negative public image as someone who has held on to major political positions since the 1960s by constantly shifting his allegiances to suit governments of all stripes.

Despite those hurdles, the general mood at the convention was one of optimism.

Most United Liberal Democrats said their party now has another chance to become a major player in the political arena by winning more seats in the National Assembly in next year's June local elections － possibly with the former president's help. The party is also not ruling out Mr. Kim running in the December 2002 presidential election.

by Chung Young-gi