Jeolla is no longer silent on MDP

Residents of Gwangju, a central city in North and South Jeolla provinces, ignited Roh Moo-hyun's bid to become the Millennium Democratic Party's presidential candidate. But now they say they are weary of the corruption allegations tainting the administration of President Kim Dae-jung.

On Monday, around 100 members of a coalition of civic groups rallied in front of the South Jeolla provincial government building, where in 1980 Gwangju citizens protested the heavy-handed tactics of Chun Doo Hwan, a high ranking general. Mr. Kim, a native of the region, who was then an opposition politician, was among those who were imprisoned. Several hundred Gwangju citizens died during the protest, which became a pivotal event in Korea's struggle for democracy.

But Monday the people of Jeolla protested "the incompetent and corrupt Millennium Democratic Party."

The rally was led by the Gwangju office of the Citizens Coalition for Economic Justice and the local YMCA. Kim Gang-nyeol, the coalition spokesman, said: "This is the first time a protest against the MDP has been held in Gwangju. This is something that had been unimaginable."

The protesters said President Kim only resigned from the party because of the series of corruption scandals linked to his administration and his family.

"I did not vote for him to see things like this happen," said Kim Ye-bun, a 55-year-old housewife who joined the protest. Another man said, "When people here get together, they have no reservations about bad-mouthing the president anymore."

Min Hyeong-bae, chairman of the Local Government Coalition of Gwangju-South Jeoll Province, said that beneath the sympathy for Mr. Kim, still affectionately referred to as "DJ," lies a rage because of the scandals.

"In the past, people in this region overlooked mistakes so that the reins of power would change hands and we would have a president from the Jeolla region. But slowly people are feeling that we should not look the other way," said Professor Ji Byeong-mun of Chonnam National University.

Reflecting this sentiment, as many as three independent candidates are leading their MDP rivals in the five races in Gwangju for district head. Eight to 10 mayoral races in 22 smaller cities in South Jeolla province are also likely to go to independent candidates, analysts said.

by Park Shin-hong