Opposition Eyes President for Clue On Political Moves

Oh Hong-keun, the Blue House spokesman, on Monday dismissed speculation on a political realignment led by President Kim Dae-jung.

"It is regrettable that the opposition is speculating about a new political party," Mr. Hong said, denying the president had any ulterior motive for resigning the presidency of the the ruling Millennium Democratic Party.

But the main opposition Grand National Party remains wary of Mr. Kim and the ruling party, especially with the president planning a cabinet reshuffle at the end of December.

Working-level party officials and aides have briefed the opposition leader, Lee Hoi-chang, on the forms of a possible political realignment.

One plausible scenario is a number of disparate forces opposed to many of Mr. Lee's policies uniting to thwart his second run for the presidency. Under that analysis, President Kim Dae-jung, former President Kim Young-sam, and Kim Jong-pil, president of the United Liberal Democrats, would join Kim Yoon-whan, head of the Democratic People's Party.

Opposition strategists said this scenario's greatest strength, the "three Kims," is also its greatest weakness. The opposition believes the voting public wants to be rid of these old-guard political bosses.

A second scenario involves the creation of a new conservative party that would leave out President Kim Dae-jung, but would still focus on Mr. Lee.

"The new conservative party would attack not only the progressiveness of the Kim Dae-jung administration and its North Korea policy, but also the weaknesses of Lee Hoi-chang's reformist conservatism," one opposition strategist said.

The opposition is also keeping an eye on the possibility that the Millennium Democratic Party will reinvent itself now that it is out of the president's long shadow, opening its doors to outside candidates with a shot at beating Mr. Lee.

The ruling party is viewing political realignment in relation to its strategy for winning the December presidential election. Most party members feel it must employ an "anti-Lee Hoi-chang" strategy to woo voters. Ruling party strategists believe that such a strategy would allow voters from the Gyeongsang provinces, in particular, to forget about the president.

The ruling party is considering renewing its old alliance with the United Liberal Democrats and the Democratic People's Party. But the main concern for the ruling party is finding a unifying political force to fill the void left by the president.

by Lee Soo-ho