DP SEEKS CHANGES AMID NEW PPP LEADER

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The election of a young new main opposition leader is causing a stir in the ruling Democratic Party. Amid calls for the DP to also embrace change, its leadership is considering whether to include many young members in launching a party task force for next year's presidential election.

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After 36-year-old Lee Jun-seok was elected the new head of the People Power Party, the Democratic Party expressed hope that the PPP would become a "reasonable" conservative party.

[Soundbite] Song Young-gil(DP chairman) : "I hope PPP chairman Lee will decide to do away with outdated notions of blanket opposition and a hostile symbiotic relationship."

In line with that hope, DP chairman Song Young-gil has proposed setting up a consultation body involving rival parties and the government. Lee has positively responded to the proposal, providing a much needed boost to strained bipartisan relations. However within the DP, the situation is more complicated. With the new PPP chief's every single move under intense spotlight, the ruling party feels a sense of crisis over the attention Lee is drawing. This may explain the DP's latest move to allow young Supreme Council member Lee Dong-hak to speak first at a council meeting. Younger representatives often speak last.

[Soundbite] Lee Dong-hak(39)(DP Supreme Council member) : "At times, it's okay to listen to younger voices first. Competition over reforms is inevitable and the DP can't lose."

The DP is also reviewing the leadership of its soon-to-be-launched planning team for next year's presidential election. There are calls for a figure as unconventional as Lee Jun-seok to take the helm. Prospective candidates include 39-year-old Lee Dong-hak and former Supreme Council member Kim Hae-young, who's in his 40s. The DP's presidential hopefuls, who are in a tug of war over the timetable of the primary race, are not opposed to a young person heading the presidential election task force. Following final discussions, the task force is set to launch some time this week.