Frustration Vented at Caucus : Ruling Party’s Members Join in Criticism of Chun

For President Chun Doo Hwan, a new source of criticism has emerged: his ruling Democratic Justice Party.

South Korean newspapers published detailed accounts Tuesday of an explosion of frustration with Chun and the ruling party leadership that took place Sunday at a caucus of party members in the National Assembly.

A Western diplomat called it an example of free reporting without precedent in this country.

According to the press accounts, member after member rose to complain that the ruling party had lost its credibility with the people. They said the people do not believe the party’s promise to revise, after the 1988 Olympic Games, the authoritarian constitution Chun rammed through in 1980 while martial law was in effect.

Chun, who is president of the party, was not specifically named in the outburst. Roh Tae Woo, the party’s chairman and nominee for president, was named only once. But both came in for indirect criticism as a number of speakers complained about the “party leadership” and “lack of democracy” within the party.

The caucus had been scheduled to last three hours but was extended when many members demanded an opportunity to air their opinions.

“Don’t limit the time,” the newspaper Joong-ang Ilbo quoted Rep. Pae Sung Dong as saying. “Let’s continue all night if necessary.”

The caucus was held on the eve of a meeting at which Chun and Roh talked about making concessions to the opposition in order to halt the unrest that has swept South Korea since Roh’s nomination June 10. The tone of the remarks made at the caucus and their appearance in the government-controlled press raised eyebrows throughout the capital.

Hong Sung Woo, a former television performer converted by the ruling party into a national assemblyman in an attempt to boost party popularity, reportedly uttered what amounts to heresy. He was quoted as saying:

“The people want direct election of the president. They are fed up with the military running politics.”

The Democratic Justice Party, which is known to fear that it would lose a direct election, wants to ensure that the revised constitution, which would give South Korea a parliamentary form of government, would provide for indirect election of the top leader by the National Assembly. Under the present system, the president is elected, also indirectly, by an electoral college.

Another representative, who was not identified by name, was quoted in Joong-ang Ilbo as saying, “We should rid our party of the smell of the military barracks.”

Such remarks are a slap in the face to Chun and Roh, both former army generals. In 1980, while still in uniform, they conspired to carry out the coup that put Chun in power. Chun then abolished all political parties and, in 1981, set up the Democratic Justice Party, placing army associates in key posts.

Even the party’s secretary general, Lee Choon Koo, spoke out at the caucus. He acknowledged that the people are opposed to Chun’s April 13 decision to suspend talks on revising the constitution until after the Olympic Games. The Korea Times quoted him as saying:

“That’s partly because they do not trust the party’s promise to change the constitution. It is urgent that our party take measures to dispel the people’s suspicion that they have been deceived again.”

Fear Party Is Distrusted

According to the Korea Herald, Rep. Yoon Giel Joong spoke of “popular distrust about whether the Democratic Justice Party is really going to change the constitution.” Rep. Bae Myung Gook reportedly agreed, and Rep. Chung Chong Teck was quoted as saying that “people seem to think we have arbitrarily zigzagged on constitutional revision.”

Rep. Kim Duoo Jung declared, according to the Korea Times, that “the current situation (the unrest) was not created by the opposition alone; the people share with them many of the same perceptions.”

Several members reportedly asked Roh if he intends to pass their opinions on up “to the top”--to Chun--and one of them, according to the Joong-ang Ilbo, asked, “Isn’t this caucus just a formality to rubber-stamp what you have already decided to announce?”

A few members of the National Assembly were said to have urged the ruling party to heed the wishes of the people even if it means losing an election.

Most analysts, Koreans as well as foreign diplomats, agree that this is not likely.