Kim Hee-ok says singular leadership system is not decided yet

Kim Hee-ok says singular leadership system is not decided yet. July. 02, 2016 07:18. by 홍수영기자 gaea@donga.com. Kim Hee-ok, Saenuri Party's interim leader, expressed his opinion Friday on changing the current collective leadership system into a singular leadership system. He said, "The decision is not made by the emergency planning committee."

 "We did not decide to change the system. The final decision will be made based on the result of the party's general meeting," Kim told a press interview on the day.

The emergency planning committee made the internal decision on June 14 to separate elections for the party chairman and supreme council members and to abolish the collective leadership system. At that time, although the agenda was going to be determined after a general meeting, the committee's decision was already considered as the final call within the party even before the general meeting.

However, as the pro-Park Geun-hye group insisted on keeping the collective leadership system, a controversy was triggered on the effectiveness of the emergency planning committee's decision. Kim then said, "The committee simply decided to hear what the party members had to say in the general meeting," making himself look as if he agreed with the pro-Park side. Kim's remark was somewhat different from the rest of the committee, probably causing disputes in the general election on July 6 and in the following emergency planning committee meeting.