Ruling Party Assesses the Damage

Following Thursdays' devastating defeat in all three elections for Assembly seats, the ruling Millennium Democratic Party said it will chart a new course against an emboldened opposition and a disaffected public.

"We have confirmed that public discontent with our party and our administration is serious. We will implement a massive revamp to show a new face," Jeon Yong-hak asserted Friday. He is the spokesman of the MDP.

The Grand National Party edged to within one seat of a majority in Thursdays polls; it has 136 seats in the 273-seat National Assembly. The party said that they will make efforts to cooperate with the ruling party to address economic and public welfare issues.

Senior Millennium Democrats convened an emergency leadership meeting Friday, agreeing on options for a revamp that Chairman Han Kwang-ok is expected to discuss Saturday when he meets President Kim Dae-jung.

One of the scenarios is a call for the president to name his chosen candidate to succeed him before next June's local elections. Voters will elect a new president in December 2002.

The mood at the emergency meeting was grim, some attendees said. All nine members of the leadership group acknowledged that their defeat Thursday reflected public discontent with the party's performance on reform and public welfare. One member, Chyung Dai-chul, said, "The change should begin with President Kim."

Other measures that emerged from Friday's emergency meeting include plans to focus on reviving the economy. The Blue House is said to favor that idea. Lew Seon-ho, the senior presidential secretary for political affairs, said, "We should come up with policies to aid the people in the lower- and middle-income brackets and revive the economy by stimulating domestic demand."

Another measure under discussion is a change in the party's leadership. The president reportedly will do so later this year; the current party leadership took office just two months ago and is seen as too new to be blamed for Thursday's 0-for-3 election performance.

The president will call a Supreme Council meeting at the Blue House on Nov. 3. At that time Mr. Kim reportedly will decide on plans for conducting next year's political campaigns.

On Friday, three senior Millennium Democrat officials resigned － Mr. Jeon, the spokesman; Chung Sye-kyun, the head of planning and coordination and Shin Geh-ryoon, in charge of organization. Secretary-general Kim Myung-sup, who remains hospitalized after an election-eve street brawl, is said to be considering the same step.

The MDP is likely to seek more political dialogue. "If the Grand National Party proposes a meeting with us, we will not refuse," a Blue House aide said on condition of anonymity.

The Grand National Party, fresh from its victory, said it will work with the ruling camp on pending economic issues such as passing the 1.8-trillion-won second supplementary budget and cutting taxes.

"The phase of confrontation will be changed to a phase of peace," said Lee Jae-oh, the opposition floor leader.

But the opposition also warned that it will use its numerical superiority against any attempt by the ruling camp to engineer political alignments, such as recruiting other legislators into its party. The MDP did something similar late last year, "lending" four lawmakers to the United Liberal Democrats as part of a short-lived political coalition.

by Kim Chong-hyuk