Ruling party's internal feud intensifies over Sejong City plan

By Lee Chi-dong
SEOUL, Feb. 11 (Yonhap) -- The presidential office demanded a formal apology
Thursday from Park Geun-hye, a former head of the ruling Grand National Party
(GNP), saying she defamed President Lee Myung-bak by misconstruing his recent
comments.
Park, likely to be a strong presidential contender in 2012, tersely dismissed the
demand, highlighting a deepening internal feud in the GNP -- most recently over
the president's push to revise his predecessor's ambitious project to relocate
several ministries to Sejong City, far south of Seoul.
"With regard to Rep. Park's remarks, (I think) appropriate explanations and
official measures are needed and (we) demand those," a top public relations
secretary at Cheong Wa Dae told reporters. When asked to elaborate, he said those
measures would include a formal apology.
The secretary was referring to Park's reaction Wednesday to the president's
comment during his trip to the central Chungcheong region the previous day.
Lee and Park, who each command factions within the GNP, have been at the
loggerheads over the Sejong City issue. Park has held fast to her position that
the government should press ahead with the plan to create an administrative town
in South Chungcheong Province. Her firm stance has become one of the biggest
hurdles to the government's pursuit of parliamentary approval on an alternative
to turn Sejong City into a business-science hub.
Speaking to Chungcheong officials in front of media, the president used a
metaphor to call for national unity.
"A good family stops fighting internally when a burglar enters the house. They
join forces to fight the burglar first and then go back to their own fight," Lee
said.
Some local media viewed Lee's comments as a thinly-veiled attack against Park,
despite Cheong Wa Dae's immediate denial.
Park said Wednesday that what the president said is right -- to a degree. "But
what if a member of the family suddenly changes his mind and becomes a burglar?"
she asked.
The Cheong Wa Dae secretary said Park's response was inappropriate and
bewildering. He said the heavyweight politician showed a lack of "etiquette" in
speaking about the head of state who "spares no efforts" for the country's
development.
The secretary reiterated that in talking about a burglar, the president was
emphasizing the importance of national unity in dealing with the global economic
crisis and other challenges.
Park dismissed the presidential office's demand for an apology, saying there was
no problem with her remarks, her aides said.
The row between the president and Park dates back to their tight race to win
their party ticket for the 2007 presidential race. Lee narrowly defeated Park to
become the flagbearer of the GNP.
Park, the daughter of late President Park Chung-hee, has shown signs she is
preparing for the 2012 presidential race. Lee is banned from seeking re-election
under the Constitution.
Park is leading opinion polls on who will likely become the next president,
although analysts say it is too early to predict the winner of the 2012 election.
Some political observers portray the Lee-Park conflict as a fight between the
"current power" and the "future power."
lcd@yna.co.kr