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In an address at a meeting of trade promotion officials on Tuesday, President Lee Myung-bak said the country was in a ¡°state of emergency.¡± The ruling Grand National Party was the scene of considerable commotion that day. It did not stem from lawmakers trying to come up with emergency measures to deal with the state of the nation; it resulted from verbal battles fought by lawmakers over the government¡¯s decision to drastically ease regulations on the establishment and expansion of manufacturing factories in Seoul and the capital area. Lawmakers representing districts in Seoul supported the decision, while lawmakers from areas outside the capital opposed it. Former GNP chairwoman Park Geun-hye, who represents the Daegu region, said there was an error in priorities and that the president should have included provincial areas as part of his deregulatory measures. This prompted GNP Chairman Park Hee-tae to propose to Lee the idea of developing provincial areas first, followed by deregulation in Seoul. Cheong Wa Dae said there was no change in the government¡¯s policy of placing top priority on developing provincial regions. The government and the GNP then had to scurry to contain the fallout.
Recently, the administration attempted to re-examine a major policy initiative of the previous government, based on the results of a probe by the Board of Audit and Inspection that the Roh Moo-hyun administration had grossly exaggerated the effects of so-called innovative cities that the government will build, hoping to serve as magnets for other residents. But after fierce opposition from provincial governments, the central government decided not to tinker with the innovative city plan. Does this administration have any idea what it is doing?
There is infighting at the GNP over whether to allow former supreme council member Lee Jae-oh to return from his quasi-exile in the U.S. A few GNP lawmakers close to him got together over the weekend and one of them told reporters that Lee would need something to do when he returns to Korea early next year. The process of making way for his return had begun. Within the GNP these days, a term as popular as ¡°pro-Park¡± is ¡°crossing Lee,¡± referring to lawmakers who have left the president¡¯s side to support the former chairwoman. This shows just how many people are rallying behind Park, while those who oppose her are feeling the need for a strong backer like Lee Jae-oh. Rumors are spreading that the reason why President Lee invited 12 of his closest GNP lawmakers to Cheong Wa Dae for drinks on Saturday was to add momentum to efforts to bring Lee Jae-oh back.
The currency swap agreement with the U.S. has earned valuable time for the Lee administration. But a slowdown in the real economy is continuing to weigh on the hearts and minds of the public. There are no signs that the members of the ruling party spent the night discussing ways to overcome this crisis. What will the public think as they watch the GNP engage in political infighting at a time like this?
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