Hong to visit Cheong Wa Dae for reform talks

Rep. Lim Hae-kyu (center) of the ruling Grand National Party speaks Wednesday at a lunch meeting of its lawmakers wanting drastic party reforms. (Yang Dong-chul/The Korea Herald)

The ruling Grand National Party’s chairman Rep. Hong Joon-pyo seeks to meet with President Lee Myung-bak to suggest reforms to Cheong Wa Dae.

“I shall talk directly with the president to discuss measures to innovate the administration,” said Rep. Hong in the party’s key officials’ meeting on Wednesday.

“If the government-ruling party consensus is a priority in achieving reforms, that is what I intend to focus on.”

Hong also pledged to open ears to all reform plans suggested from within the party and reflect them in the final map, according to officials.

The party leader effectively embraced, at least partly, the recent claims by members wanting drastic changes, following the right-wing’s defeat in last month’s Seoul mayoral by-election.

Earlier on Sunday, a group of 25 GNP lawmakers delivered a letter to Cheong Wa Dae, urging the presidential office to apologize for its policy failure. They also demanded that the party leadership press Lee for fundamental reforms.

Amid internal conflicts over the strength and direction of the party’s renewal, the GNP also held in the afternoon the first of its special weekly meetings to brainstorm renovation strategies, according to officials.

The party’s initial goal in next year’s general election is to win 130 or more parliamentary seats and more than 50 percent of the constituencies in Seoul.

Detailed plans, nevertheless, varied greatly.

Reps. Chung Moon-joon and Kim Moon-soo, both considered presidential hopefuls, claimed that the party needed a reshuffle, including of the current Supreme Council.

Kim even suggested that 50 percent of the lawmakers from Gangnam and Youngnam, or Gyeongsang, regions should be replaced, causing a backlash from members there.

Rep. Chung Doo-un, head of the party’s policy think tank the Youido Institute, also urged the party to recruit political rookies to appeal to voters in next year’s race.

Rep. Park Geun-hye, the frontrunner for the party’s presidential nomination, disapproved. She said policy reforms should be put before reform of candidate nomination.

“Lawmakers should not be preoccupied with the general election nomination at this point in time,” said Rep. Lee Jung-hyun, a close aide to Park.

“Policy deliberation should come before human resource changes.”

Rep. Kim Chung-kwon, the party’s secretary-general, also expressed concerns over the overheated nomination and reshuffle talks.

“Now is not the time to discuss the detailed contents of next year’s election but to focus further on imminent issues, such as the free trade deal,” he said.

By Bae Hyun-jung (tellme@heraldm.com)