DPK candidate visits gravesite of Park Chung-hee
By Kim Hyo-jin
Moon Jae-in, the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) presidential candidate, visited the gravesites of former presidents including Park Chung-hee, the father of ousted leader Park Geun-hye, Tuesday.
This was his first official function since being elected as the party's candidate for the May 9 presidential election, Monday.
The visit was widely viewed as the liberal candidate's symbolic move to appeal to elderly conservative voters.
Moon, along with party leader Choo Mi-ae, paid their respects at the gravesites of Korea's inaugural President Syngman Rhee and Park at the National Cemetery in Seoul.
This was followed by visits to the graves of Kim Dae-jung and Kim Young-sam, leaders in the post-democratization era. He also paid tribute at a monument for students who participated in the Korean War.
"For a fair and just Korea," he wrote in the visitors' book at the cemetery.
"It was time for me to refresh myself now that I am running in the presidential election as the DPK's candidate," Moon told reporters after the visit.
"The country has had its ups and downs since its foundation and former presidents have merits and demerits. But it is still our history to embrace and our challenge to overcome."
The DPK has been reluctant to visit the gravesites of Rhee and Park, controversial figures who are viewed negatively by liberals for suppressing human rights while they were in office.
Moon went to the National Cemetery in 2012, when he competed against the then conservative candidate Park Geun-hye in the previous presidential race but skipped visits to the graves of Rhee and Park, a contrast to his then liberal rival Ahn Cheol-soo who did.
Moon visited their gravesites in 2015, when he was the party's chairman, becoming the first to do so in the liberal party's history. But he did not leave any message in the guest book. Observers interpreted the visit then as a mere strategy to seek votes.
The visit this time reflected Moon's genuine understanding of the advantages of showing flexibility, analysts said. "He knows he can afford to embrace other political forces, which must be because of his strong lead in opinion polls," a political commentator said.
Later in the day, he met with DPK lawmakers at the National Assembly and asked for their help in his presidential campaign.
Mindful of the schism between him and his competitors created during the primaries, he said, "I'm deeply sorry about the conflicts we had during the primary election. I will make efforts to reconcile with the other primary candidates. I hope we can work as one with better communication."
Moon, former chief of staff for the late liberal President Roh Moo-hyun, also paid tribute to Roh, who is buried in Bongha Village in South Gyeongsang Province, and met Kwon Yang-sook, the widow of the late president.
Meanwhile, the Liberty Korea Party, the former ruling party, said it would launch an all-out offensive against the rival party's official candidate in the remaining days ahead of the May 9 poll.
Rep. Chung Woo-taik, the party's floor leader, said he will grill Moon on controversial issues including alleged favors given to his son in landing a job at a state-run company.
By Kim Hyo-jin
Moon Jae-in, the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) presidential candidate, visited the gravesites of former presidents including Park Chung-hee, the father of ousted leader Park Geun-hye, Tuesday.
This was his first official function since being elected as the party's candidate for the May 9 presidential election, Monday.
The visit was widely viewed as the liberal candidate's symbolic move to appeal to elderly conservative voters.
Moon, along with party leader Choo Mi-ae, paid their respects at the gravesites of Korea's inaugural President Syngman Rhee and Park at the National Cemetery in Seoul.
This was followed by visits to the graves of Kim Dae-jung and Kim Young-sam, leaders in the post-democratization era. He also paid tribute at a monument for students who participated in the Korean War.
"For a fair and just Korea," he wrote in the visitors' book at the cemetery.
"It was time for me to refresh myself now that I am running in the presidential election as the DPK's candidate," Moon told reporters after the visit.
"The country has had its ups and downs since its foundation and former presidents have merits and demerits. But it is still our history to embrace and our challenge to overcome."
The DPK has been reluctant to visit the gravesites of Rhee and Park, controversial figures who are viewed negatively by liberals for suppressing human rights while they were in office.
Moon went to the National Cemetery in 2012, when he competed against the then conservative candidate Park Geun-hye in the previous presidential race but skipped visits to the graves of Rhee and Park, a contrast to his then liberal rival Ahn Cheol-soo who did.
Moon visited their gravesites in 2015, when he was the party's chairman, becoming the first to do so in the liberal party's history. But he did not leave any message in the guest book. Observers interpreted the visit then as a mere strategy to seek votes.
The visit this time reflected Moon's genuine understanding of the advantages of showing flexibility, analysts said. "He knows he can afford to embrace other political forces, which must be because of his strong lead in opinion polls," a political commentator said.
Later in the day, he met with DPK lawmakers at the National Assembly and asked for their help in his presidential campaign.
Mindful of the schism between him and his competitors created during the primaries, he said, "I'm deeply sorry about the conflicts we had during the primary election. I will make efforts to reconcile with the other primary candidates. I hope we can work as one with better communication."
Moon, former chief of staff for the late liberal President Roh Moo-hyun, also paid tribute to Roh, who is buried in Bongha Village in South Gyeongsang Province, and met Kwon Yang-sook, the widow of the late president.
Meanwhile, the Liberty Korea Party, the former ruling party, said it would launch an all-out offensive against the rival party's official candidate in the remaining days ahead of the May 9 poll.
Rep. Chung Woo-taik, the party's floor leader, said he will grill Moon on controversial issues including alleged favors given to his son in landing a job at a state-run company.
