Why Do You Find Fault with Me Regardless of Who I Support?

In an interview with current weekly magazine, Hankyoreh 21, released on March 2, President Roh Moo-hyun said that “I will not yield to a false incrimination, or unreasonable assertions” about the issue of his involvement in the general election campaign as he earlier stated that he will support the Open Uri Party. “I disregard those criticisms.”

President Roh retorted that he doesn’t know why the opposition party finds faults with him whoever he supports because the president is a politician. He also expressed dissatisfaction with the press, saying that “it is a problem to voice an ignorant wording when it is not ignorant, and I don’t know why the press writes down all my remarks.”

President Roh’s statement seems to be based on Article One, Clause 58 of the Law of Public Official Election and Ban on Vote Rigging that a simple expression of opinion about the election doesn’t amount to the election campaign, but in the light of the National Election Commission’s call for the President’s cooperation over his “civil revolution” statement, a controversy is expected to follow.

In an interview with a broadcast journalists club on February 24, President Roh explained his remarks that people should support the Open Uri Party in upcoming April general election, and he just answered “the more the better” to the question on how many seats would satisfy the Uri Party. And he retorted it has nothing to do with neutrality on the election.

“I support the Uri Party, but I vow not to mobilize any power in my administration or even one man in office for the election,” said Roh.

Meanwhile, on the subject of the dispatch of Korean troops to Iraq, composed of special combat forces, Roh said that “there is no enemy Korean forces will fight, there is no situation which will engage our forces in battle, and there will be no battles.“

He continued to say that he “is positively examining granting clemency to those related with sending money to North Korea,” adding that “it is unavoidable in the process of carrying out the task for the nation and people. We have to admit the innocence and justification of their motives.”

Concerning the reform of the National Intelligence Service (NIS), President Roh said that “the political involvement of the service has disappeared. We have to make public the past secrets through the proper processes if possible.”

He also explained the sudden change in the former chief of the service that it is true that there were some conflicts between the former head chief, Seo Dong-man, and the present director of the service, Ko Young-koo. He stated that in such cases, we have to give power to the director of the NIS regardless of who is right and wrong.

Jung-Hun Kim jnghn@donga.com