Pres. candidates quick to nix pledges if protests ensue

The presidential candidate of the main opposition Democratic United Party on Oct. 23 told a meeting on rebuilding powerful institutions, "I will abolish the information police unit of the police, which is a remnant of Japanese colonial rule and the Yushin regime, and reassign the unit`s personnel to public security positions."

Moon Jae-in`s comments were interpreted as his plan to remove the information office role from police, but provoked heated protest from police officers and their families over the potential loss of jobs for the office. The party responded by apparently reversing what it said in an earlier statement, and said, "We`re not saying we will abolish the information office. We will ban information officers from conducting civil surveillance activities."

Key figures at the camps of the three main presidential candidates are reversing initial pledges if they become problematic by either denying giving them or blaming misunderstanding or misinterpretation. Such chronic flip-flops are recurring in Korea ahead of the presidential election, with certain camps making pledges without careful examination and reversing their stances.

The environment and energy forum of the camp of independent runner Ahn Cheol-soo said Nov. 2, "We will promote the repeal of a special law on waterfront development in areas near the nation`s four major rivers." If the law is abolished, however, the legal basis of Echo Delta City being built in Busan as a future growth engine will disappear. Amid fierce protests, Ahn visited Busan Monday and said, "The law should be abolished, but the Echo Delta City project will continue." Critics say, however, that doing away with the project`s legal foundation and promoting it make no sense.

The Democratic United Party distributed news releases Wednesday in Gwangju that it will actively examine the construction of an underwater tunnel connecting Mokpo and Jeju Island to raise synergy between tourism and logistics in Gwangju, South Jeolla Province and Jeju. After environmental groups blasted the proposal as Moon`s version of the four-river restoration work, the party said it will drop the idea if many oppose it. The party then blamed media reports that presented the tunnel project as a pledge.

peacechaos@donga.com