Chung vows to work for unity
Published: 08 Sep. 2009, 22:24
New chairman of the Grand National Party, Chung Mong-joon, holds a couple of mackerel pike at Noryangjin fish market in southern Seoul, early yesterday morning. [NEWSIS]
“The time calls on our Grand National Party to protect the poor and working people,” Representative Chung Mong-joon said in a press conference.
Chung, also head of Hyundai Heavy Industries Co. and the richest lawmaker in the country, was made the GNP chief after his predecessor, Park Hee-tae, stepped down Monday to run for a parliamentary seat in the Oct. 28 by-elections.
The Assembly opened its 100-day regular session last week but the GNP and its rivals have yet to agree on how the parliament will be run, let alone which bills will be reviewed during its course.
The ongoing strife began in late July when the GNP legislated disputed revisions to media-related laws in a vote attended only by its own lawmakers. The main opposition Democratic Party agreed to open the parliamentary session following a series of street protests while the Assembly was in recess, but with a vow to stage an “intensified” struggle at the parliament.
Chung vowed efforts to improve his party’s relations with opposition parties, saying the opposition must be regarded and treated as a partner, not an enemy to be excluded.
The call for improved ties comes as the government and the ruling party are seeking to amend the Constitution following President Lee Myung-bak’s demand last month to reduce the number of what he called wasteful, unnecessary elections.
“Every effort to amend the Constitution or change the election system is an important task that will decide the future of our country,” the GNP chief said. “Everyone must work to implement the political reforms that will decide the next 100 years of the country without any selfish reasons.”
Chung’s term as the party chief is set to end in July next year as he is serving the remainder of Park’s two-year term, but the party is expected to elect new leadership as early as February. The new ruling party chief is scheduled to meet President Lee today in a breakfast meeting, where the president is expected to call for better cooperation between the government and the party, according to party officials. Yonhap
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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