Roh Comment on Third Group of Candidates

Millennium Democratic Party’s presidential candidate Roh Moo-hyun directly commented on the third group of candidates. The third group included Rep. Chung Mong-joon, Rep. Park Keun-hye and former Premier Lee Han-dong. Roh also posted on his home page his comments on them, which were made in his recent interview with a cable network MBN on August 4, 2002.

As to Congresswoman Park, he mentioned both of bright and dark sides of her. He commented, “Congresswoman Park is a person of wonderful character. What she is pursuing is in part a reform. But it mainly is about restoring the legitimacy of Park Jung-hee regime.” He continued, “President Park contributed a lot to our modern history. We can’t deny it. But we can’t shake off the dark sides of his presidency as well. In sum, as a person pursuing a bright future for Korea, I can’t help defining his era as a dark one.” In conclusion, he said, “Ms. Park is a good person, but a person going ways different from mine.

His view on Congressman Chung seems to have changed from a negative one to a positive. He said, “During the 13th Congress when I engaged myself in labor disputes and helping the workers, I met and had a conversation with him. I found we have a lot in common. After that, I’ve changed myself toward a moderate mediating two extremes as my status within the party has grown up. Through direct conversations and his statements quoted in the media, I feel that Mr. Chung has changed. I agree 100% to his remark, ‘A wealthy man can be reform- and progressivism-minded.’ I can think of President Roosevelt and Kennedy as examples.” He expressed his good attitude toward him by saying, “I wish I could talk with him some day. I can’t make a definitive conclusion as to him before I meet him again. One thing I can tell for sure is I am open to him in evaluation.”

In the meanwhile, on former Premier Lee, he tried not to make direct and much comment. He said, “He is wide- and open-minded senior lawyer to me. I have nothing special to comment on him as a politician.”

Young-Chan Yoon yyc11@donga.com