From the Publisher

Popular Korean-language daily newspaper, Joong-Ang Ilbo, published an interesting editorial last Wednesday (June 5).

It concerned a bit changed attitude on the part of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party (LKP).

The opposition political parties in Korea were all but invariably opposed to most of the policy proposals from the government and the ruling political camp.

Chairman Hwang Kyo-ahn of the Liberty Korea Party

In contrast with this situation, the LKP organized a special economic measures committee.

Named ‘The 2020 Grand Economic Change Committee’ (GECC), the new ‘Help Korean Economy’ organization of the main opposition LKP is very well received from the general public in Korea as it poses a striking contrast with the attitude it has so far taken in dealing with the ruling political camp and the government of President Moon Jae-in.

In fact, the LKP, belying the name as the stronghold of the Korean conservatives, has so far failed to win the heart of the majority of the Korean people although not all policies of President Moon came pat to the wishes of the Korean people, especially the conservatively minded citizens.

Announcement of the new move of the LKP comes coinciding with the first 100th day of assumption of the post of the leader of the LKP by Chairman Hwang.

Hwang was the prime minister of former President Park Geun-hye (now in prison on charges of many counts of law violations in collaboration with publically discredited Madam Choi Soon-shil).

Due to this relationship with former President Park, Hwang has had a hard time trying to win popular support from Korean society. The dilemma for Hwang is the fact that there still are a considerable number of supporters of discredited former President Park as seen in many of the right-wing mass demonstration in Seoul where they carry both Taegeuk-ki (National Flag of Korea) and the portrait pictures of Madam Park.

Against this backdrop, it should have been very hard for Hwang to make clear his position in terms of his real political coloring.

There are a large number of moderate rightists in Korea, who are opposed to the erring Park and the members of her discredited governments, who are moderate and therefore have not so far been given the public limelight as the pro-Park rightists. And the unsung large group of moderate rightists are not necessarily pro-Moon.

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