United Future Party's Campaign Committee Launch Imminent... Last-Minute Controversy Over 'Bringing Back Kim Jong-in'

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] The United Future Party appears to be barely transitioning to a campaign committee system a month before the April 15 general election. Former Democratic Party emergency committee chairman Kim Jong-in is a strong candidate for campaign committee chairman, but there are voices of opposition within the party, causing last-minute turmoil. The nomination issues pointed out by former emergency committee chairman Kim also remain unresolved.

Former North Korean diplomat Tae Young-ho demanded an apology on his Facebook on the 15th, referring to Kim Jong-in's past interview remarks. Previously, Kim Jong-in had criticized Tae Young-ho in a media interview, calling him "a person without roots in South Korea" and deemed him unsuitable as a district candidate. Tae Young-ho said, "The so-called 'root theory' that is causing controversy denies the rights and roles that people without hometowns in South Korea should enjoy in the Republic of Korea," adding, "How can he ask the public to support the United Future Party as campaign committee chairman without a clear apology?"

Three-term lawmaker Kim Young-woo, who declared he would not run in the general election, also opposed the recruitment of Kim Jong-in as campaign committee chairman. On the 14th, he wrote on Facebook, "The premature plan to recruit Kim Jong-in as campaign committee chairman and his attack on candidate Tae Young-ho is a complete self-inflicted wound and blunder," adding, "He has many strengths, but pleading to take on the role of United Future Party campaign committee chairman again at this point looks really bad and foolish."

The United Future Party has been pursuing talks since last month to recruit former emergency committee chairman Kim Jong-in as campaign committee chairman. There are reports that Kim Jong-in is likely to accept this proposal. However, as noise over nominations grows, it has become somewhat uncertain whether the 'Kim Jong-in campaign committee' can launch as planned.

The nomination noise intensified because Kim Jong-in demanded revisions to some results. Kim previously stated, "If nomination noise is not resolved, I cannot take charge of the campaign committee," and the Supreme Council requested a re-examination of the nomination results in six districts on the 12th. This can be interpreted as 'building justification' to bring Kim Jong-in on board. The nomination committee only revised the results in two districts without accepting Kim Jong-in's demands, such as converting Tae Young-ho to a proportional representation candidate.

Subsequently, on the 13th, Kim Hyung-oh, chairman of the nomination committee, resigned taking responsibility for reversing the Gangnam-byeong nomination, but since Vice Chairman Lee Seok-yeon is acting in his place and the nomination committee remains intact, there is a high possibility of conflict over the nomination committee and nomination results even if Kim Jong-in takes the campaign committee chairman position. The United Future Party plans to hold a Supreme Council meeting as early as the 16th to approve the launch of the campaign committee with Kim Jong-in as chairman, but with nomination variables emerging, the launch timing may be further delayed.