[Editorial] Rosamo to Decide its Own Future

To president-elect Roh, `Rosamo,` his fan club whose title means people who love Roh Moo-hyun, has been his great supporter for years. He must have deep affection toward the organization, especially given all those effort and support the club mobilized for Roh throughout the party nomination and presidential election.

When he had dinner together with members of the club last weekend, he did not hesitate to exhibit his affection. ˝This is the first time that we have seen an organization supporting a candidate instead of criticizing him, and I expect this kind of positive campaign will continue across the country,˝ he said. Then, he gave them a pep talk by saying, ˝We did what I did together like accessories in a crime, and I believe you will continue playing a good role.˝ He added, ˝When you think of what you can do, there are indeed lots of things you can do.˝

Some see his remarks as a roundabout way of saying he wanted Rosamo to continue to exist, working throughout the general election next year. If they are right, Roh must think over whether it is a good idea for his own sake or not. Members of the organization are waging a heated debate over their Web site as to whether the club will continue to exist or not. Some say that it is time to close one page of the history since they achieved what they hoped for, while others insist that the club continue to exist by changing the nature of its activities. They plan to put the issue on an electronic vote before the inauguration of the president-elect.

It might invite misunderstanding for the president-elect at this time to make remarks that can affect the future course of the organization. Should `Rosamo` continue to exist as Roh wishes, it is most likely to turn into a political interest group. It will also face criticism for being an organization for the president.

As it was in the beginning, `Rosamo` is a voluntary group comprising supporters, which is the key to its success so far. Then whether it will continue to exist or not or what it will do if it choose to exist, it is up to the members of the organization. We just hope we are worrying too much about what is happening around the fan club.