Roh Will Ask for Permission from NEC Before Making Remarks

Responding to the National Election Commission’s (NEC) decision that President Roh violated election law by making remarks against the opposition party’s candidate, a Cheong Wa Dae spokesman said yesterday that, “Before making remarks, President Roh will ask the NEC to check their legality in advance.”

After a senior member meeting on state affairs at Cheong Wa Dae, the presidential spokesman Cheon Ho-seon gave a briefing, saying, “President Roh respects the NEC’s decision. However, since it is impossible to give up a political right as president, Roh will adjust his remarks so that they don’t conflict with the NEC.”

He added, “We know that the NEC’s recent decision has strengthened its authority and expended its boundaries,” and claimed that, “Even though it needs to confirm the extent to which the remarks broke the law, the bottom line of this decision is that it is intended to silence the president.”

Cheon also said, “However, the point is that it is impossible for us to draw a line between remarks that can be against the law and not against the law,” adding, “We believe that the NEC won’t avoid Roh’s request for confirmation.”

However, such a reaction, which is an indirect expression of Roh’s discontent over the NEC’s decision, is expected to cause new disputes.

Spokesman Cheon said that, “The opposition Grand National Party (GNP) has called for ‘changing the current regime’ and ‘victory in the election’ many times before,” adding, “It is not fair that the GNP is using such methods to make me keep silent, and I would like to ask the NEC whether such actions are regarded as illegal election campaigning as well.”

GNP spokeswoman Na Gyeong-won claimed that, “President Roh’s response that ‘it is just to make me keep silent,’ is a rejection of the judge’s decision,” adding, “Roh’s request for confirmation about his remarks from the NEC is nothing but an attempt to make fun of the NEC’s decision.”

jyw11@donga.com