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Former Gyeonggi Province governor Sohn Hak-kyu on Thursday congratulated a moderate reform party named Progress Korea on its establishment. There is speculation that Sohn, the Grand National party¡¯s third-placed contender, will boycott the GNP primaries and quit the party to strike out on his own. Made up of some 100 former student activists, the new political group is co-chaired by Kim Yoon, the head of a forum on the Korean economy and globalization, Choi Pae-kun, a professor at Kyungpook National University and Kim Yoo-shik, the owner of online community Digital Inside.
An official with the group said it will establish a nationwide organization by September and select a presidential candidate as a formal political party. He expressed hope that Sohn will decide to leave the GNP. Sohn attended the ceremony despite opposition from his aides and wrote his own speech for it.
At the ceremony, Sohn reiterated the need for a new political force. ¡°We long for the emergence of a new political order. It is not just necessary but inevitable, and we should prepare for its arrival,¡± he said. It was the first time Sohn has explicitly referred to the emergence of a new political force. Political insiders interpret the remarks as a first step toward dropping out of the GNP primaries and leaving the party.
Sohn lashed out at prevailing political forces on both sides. ¡°Incompetent progressives are unable to carry on the responsibility of running Korean society. Nor can the conservatives be responsible for mapping out new Korean history. Both of them read the direction of history wrong,¡± he said. He told his audience the founding of the new party would serve as an occasion for former student activists to restore their pride, bringing ¡°new political forces who are enthusiastic and committed to reshaping the nation and realizing the new political spirit of the age.¡± He predicted conservatives will surrender to them in the end. Dodging reporters¡¯ questions about his plans, Sohn promised to clarify his decision ¡°next time.¡± His aides said he will rest at a local Buddhist temple until the weekend.
(englishnews@chosun.com )
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