By Jung Sung-ki
Staff Reporter



Yoo Jay-kun

Rep. Yoo Jay-kun was selected as the acting chairman of the troubled ruling Uri Party Friday, a party spokesman said. He replaces Rep. Chung Sye-kyun, who resigned after being nominated as the new minister of commerce, industry and energy in a Cabinet shakeup Monday.
``Yoo has accepted the unanimous decision made in an emergency meeting of the party’s senior lawmakers,’’ Rep. Jun Byung-hun said in a briefing at party headquarters in Yongdungpo-gu, Seoul.

In his acceptance speech, Yoo, a 69-year-old third-term lawmaker, said he would give top priority to the preparation of his party’s national convention slated for Feb. 18, in which a new chairman would be formally elected.

``I’ll make utmost efforts to hold the upcoming national convention in a beautiful and festive mood,’’ said the new interim leader who will take care of the governing party for the 44 days ahead of the party’s leadership race.

A successful hosting of the party convention is very important to mend soured ties with the presidential office of Chong Wa Dae and regaining decreasing public support for the governing party as well, he added.

Yoo currently serves as the chairman of the National Defense Committee of the National Assembly. He is well known for being conversant with American affairs. But, amid the simmering feud between the party and the presidential office over the recent Cabinet shuffle, he has also been tasked with mending broken fences.

The discord within the governing camp has gone from bad to worse over President Roh Moo-hyun’s push to appoint Rep. Rhyu Si-min, a maverick reformist and one of his closest confidants, as the new health and welfare minister despite opposition from a majority of the Uri Party lawmakers.

A number of lawmakers, mostly in the party’s mainstream, strongly opposed Rhyu’s entry into the Cabinet, saying it would significantly diminish their chances of winning the much coveted mayoral and gubernatorial races in the May 31 local elections due to the lawmaker’s negative public image.

The civic activist-turned-lawmaker has often been a target of criticism from opposition parties and even Uri Party lawmakers for his aggressive attitude toward political opponents and blunt and barbed criticisms.

Senior party lawmakers were also worried about the nomination of interim leader Chung Sye-kyun ahead of the crucial party convention next month.

gallantjung@koreatimes.co.kr