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Kim Dae-jung, Kim Young-sam and Kim Jong-pil names have been a subject of constant discussion. People thought that their hegemony would end when Kim Young-sam wound up his term, but it fell short of the people's expectations when Kim Young-sam re-established the Minju(Democracy) Mountaineering Club(MMC) and contended power from the president and prime minister. Just like the stream which hasn't flown for forty years, those have taken the reins of the government have begun to move again. Now begins the age of the "Post Those Kims".
When Kim Dae-jung and Kim Jong-pil arrived at a crisis dering the presidential election of 1997 they joined together a parliamentary government. Their relationship looked like a cooperative one. Now, when the president's term approached its second year, they looked like two old lions which fighting over some meat. Last August, the President Kim announced that he will organize a new party which combins the National Congress for New Politics(NCNP) and the United Liberal Democrats(ULD) and recruite a large number of reformist figurers from outside the party. But after a few days, Prime Minister Kim, the representative of the ULD, said that the ULD will not join with the NCNP. It shows that their relationship was not just a cooperative. Their troubles began already when President Kim delyed changing to a parliamentary system of government. He had no intention to do this because the president's power is low in a parliamentary government. Maybe he did not want to lose power and appear meek because he was elected being defeated after in the presidential elections four times.
At this point of time, it is very surprising news that Kim Young-sam, the ex-president will reconstruct the MMC. Many speeches and people criticized Kim's resumption of politics. And they are anxious about what his purpose is. Is his resumption to restrain the ruling party or even try to save Kim Hyun-chul, his son who was convicted of accepting bribes and evading taxes and was sentenced two years in prison. If we observe some events in recent years, we believe that his resumption is to save his son. When President Kim was explaining the 54th Liberation Day pardon, at that time Kim Young-sam announced that he will bring to light problems with President Kim's election fund. At last, President Kim decided to pardon Kim Hyun-chul even though many people thought it was wrong. Did the ex-president Kim's plan for saving his son succeed? People will guess that Kim will cultivate his successor by campaigning for representatives in the general election next year.
What is the reason that the three Kims can survive though they are considered by the people to be incompetent politicians? It is because of regional division and hatred in Korea. The three Kims try to get the support of the people by manipulating regional bias even though they urge people to avoid it.
So how about everyone else's attitude, except the three Kims? Above all, Lee Hoi-chang, the opposition leader, strongly criticized. " the Post three Kims age". He is responding to Kim Young-sam's resumption into politics by announcing that he will withdraw from the party if any representative join the MMC.
In fact, he is being put in a dubious position. His insistence on removing the three Kim's age is not appealing at all since he was one of Kim Young-sam's followers. And if he insists on changing to younger politicians, he also won't have any appeal because of his age. And after Kim Young-sam's return. The opposition party may be disrupted. There is no guarantee if he can be an alternative politician against the three Kims.
Now people wonder whether the three Kims were honest politicians for a long time. It may be difficult to be honest politician for those who the drove people into an economic crisis and deep regional hatred. People expect a new politician.
They should know when they leave.