Moon cautious about revealing ambition

Novice politician taking lead in reviving Roh influence

By Chung Min-uck, Kang Hyun-kyung

BUSAN — Moon Jae-in wore a thin yellow jacket on a cold day during a campaign for the general election. The candidate of the main opposition Democratic United Party (DUP) is now ahead in opinion polls in the Sasang electoral district in this southeastern port city, which is portrayed as conservative home turf.

The yellow color reminds people of the late former President Roh Moo-hyun as his supporters used it in their logo during the 2002 presidential campaign.

Although he remained extremely cautious about spelling out his presidential ambitions, his choice of words and dress code sent an unmistakable signal that he is interested in the top job.

A Korea Times reporter spent a day with the rising DUP star who is campaigning for the April 11 general election in Busan as the sole party representative.

Asked if he wasn’t cold with the sleek jacket, Moon, 59, grinned at the reporter saying he had nothing else to wear but it — obviously a joke.

Moon, a political novice in the sense as he has never run for elective posts before, said he would keep wearing the yellow-colored windbreaker under all circumstances until the election.

Since early January, his ratings in theoretical presidential polls have steadily gone up. In some, the Roh supporter outperformed Ahn Cheol-soo, a doctor-turned-IT mogul. As a close confidant to the late President, Moon served as the ill-fated leader’s chief of staff. While alive, Roh described Moon as one of the people most similar to him and a best friend.

Moon tried to manage his facial expressions, downplaying the poll results in an apparent move to show he was not content with it.

“I am grateful for those who support me. Yes, it’s news. But it is yet to be a phenomenon,” he said.

Moon, also chairman of the Roh Moo-hyun Foundation, lost weight (nearly four kilograms) over the past few weeks since he announced plans to run for a National Assembly seat. The main opposition DUP on Wednesday officially chose Moon to run for the Sasang district on its ticket.

Moon has been threatening the ruling Saenuri Party, which is trying to counter the “Moon effect” in Busan.

Asked where he would like to take the nation if he were President, Moon declined to answer.

“Please do not go too far. I am going to fully focus on this campaign for now,” he said, refusing to answer any questions regarding a possible presidential bid.

“The change starts here in Sasang,” Moon said. Sasang is Busan’s economic locomotive, housing the largest industrial complex where nearly 2,500 manufacturers produce steel and auto parts among others. It accounts for 20 percent of jobs in the port city.

“If voters chose a change over the status quo, I believe this could have a strong effect on the nation,” he said.

His words indicated that Sasang could be the epicenter of a voter revolution in the presidential election later this year.

Moon’s rise

Moon gained popularity after making a guest appearance on a TV show “healing camp” early last month. It let the public know about his sincerity, thoughtfulness and quiet nature. In real life, he looked almost the same as on the show. He didn’t look like a politician, and once noted that politics was not his thing.

Asked if he felt comfortable campaigning, Moon said he is still learning.

The lawyer-turned-politician tried to make eye contact with commuters when he campaigned near the subway station in Hakjang-dong for as long as possible with the apparent hope that the brief greeting could move their hearts and minds in favor of him.

After this, he, along with his aides, moved to a kindergarten to serve free meals for elderly citizens.

On the first floor of the two-story building, Moon delivered dishes to senior citizens gathering there with a warm smile. “Look at the man in this card. This is who I am. Can you recognize me?” he reminded them of his status as a candidate.

One of his aides whispered to Moon encouraging him to take a photo with kindergarten children on the second floor. The aide said the Moon campaign could use the nice shot to position himself as a caring man.

Moon rejected the offer. He said he didn’t like doing something without sincerity for the sake of showing it to others. “This is how Moon is,” said one of his aides.

According to a close aide, the presidential hopeful is somewhat different from Roh though they shared the same goal.

“Roh tended to think of what he should do in the future while Moon doesn’t. Moon always stresses not to bite off more than you can chew,” said Lee Ho-chul, the long-time aide to both Roh and Moon. Lee held several key presidential posts under the previous administration. “Moon is a person who believes honesty is the best policy,” he said.

“He has a story to tell through his life. As his story starts to unfold, his popularity will rise as well,” said Youn Kun-young, Moon’s secretary.

When the reporter asked for any projected plans for the presidency, Youn said, “Just wait and see. They will come soon.”