Park Ji-won is a writer for The Korea Times who has been covering a wide range of topics from Korea’s culture to its politics. An avid journalism enthusiast to the core, Ji-won brings a thoughtful and unique perspective to every topic she covers. On weekends, you'll often find her contemplating life’s purpose on a yoga mat — with a cup of quality tea in hand. A native Korean speaker by birth and fluent in English through her work, she went to college in Japan and is learning Chinese and French — hoping to add Polish, Russian and Thai to the mix.
Moon's confidants resume activities before 2020 general elections
Im Jong-seok, left, former presidential chief of staff, talks in front of the grave of the late President Roh Moo-hyun, along with his former colleagues in Gimhae, South Gyeongsang Province, Saturday. They paid a visit to the late president's grave in a move to commemorate the 39th anniversary of the Gwangju Uprising, a pro-democracy movement. From left are Im, former senior presidential press secretary Yoon Young-chan, former presidential spokesman Park Soo-hyun and former chief of the presidential press center Kwon hyuk-ki. Yonhap
By Park Ji-won
By Park Ji-won
President Moon Jae-in's “confidants” are engaging in more political activities in an apparent move to win backing from party members in the ruling Democratic Party of Korea ahead next year's general election.
Former presidential chief of staff Im Jong-seok visited Bongha Village, Gimhae, where the late President Roh Moo-hyun is buried, Saturday. Visiting the village was interpreted as a symbolic move to show respect for the deceased political heavyweight.
Im was accompanied by former senior presidential press secretary Yoon Young-chan, former presidential spokesman Park Soo-hyun, former chief of the presidential press center Kwon hyuk-ki and several former presidential secretaries.
Their visit came four days after they went to Gwangju to commemorate the 39th anniversary of the Gwangju Uprising, a pro-democracy movement in 1980 which ended in numerous casualties and deaths at the hands of the military. They also visited the May 18th National Cemetery and paid tribute to the dead.
The series of visits by the former Cabinet members are intended to expand their presence in the ruling party as the DPK has recently tightened its nomination rules for the 2020 race.
The DPK has set new guidelines giving preference to female and first-time candidates in an internal selection process for party candidates.
The general election is considered a political barometer to gauge public opinion of the Moon administration and the ruling DPK. For the ruling circle, the party aims to avoid an early lame-duck status through an election victory.
The former aides have also stepped up criticism of against the main opposition camps online.
Im criticized his possible rival main opposition Liberty Korea Party (LKP) Chairman Hwang Kyo-ahn, of the, over his past on Facebook saying, ”Former politicized prosecutors, who randomly jailed and tortured citizens and called citizens North Korean spies by doctoring documents, have no shame.” Rumors have circulated that Im and Hwang would run in the election for the same precinct, the Jongno district, in the upcoming race.
Im added “I am surprised to see him live today without having made any progress from when he served as a prosecutor.”
Kwon, a former head of the Cheong Wa Dae Press Center, also criticized the LKP on Facebook by saying: “I am upset after watching the LKP tarnish the reputation of the democracy built on the blood of citizens in Gwangju.” Meanwhile, former press secretary Yoon has been updating details of his political activities on Facebook, which he didn't do while at the presidential office.
Adding to Moon's presidential staff, the late President Roh's confidants have also came forward to deliver political messages in front of people to heat up the political atmosphere before the 2020 election.
Rhyu Si-min, a former welfare minister under the Roh administration and Yang Jung-chul, a former press secretary for the presidential office, participated in a talk show and talked about their political activities and the upcoming general election.
Yang, who recently assumed his post as the head of the DPK's think tank last week, said “I think the general election aims to complete the candlelit revolution and realize the spirit of Roh.”
When asked whether he would return to the political scene, Rhyu, the head of the Roh Moo-hyun Foundation and one of the prospective presidential candidates in the ruling circle, said “A monk cannot shave his own head,” possibly meaning that he will not take the initiative on his own, but wait for a request from his party.