Nam Hyun-woo has worked as a staff writer at The Korea Times since 2013, mostly covering business and politics. He currently belongs to the Business Desk where he covers topics such as emerging tech, AI, ICT and Korea's chaebol community. Prior to joining the team, he was the paper's correspondent for the presidential office of Korea during the Yoon Suk Yeol and Moon Jae-in administrations.
Late ex-President Roh invoked in ruling party primary dispute
In this May 3, 2007, file photo, then-President Roh Moo-hyun, left, and his then-chief of staff Moon Jae-in speak at Cheong Wa Dae. Courtesy of Cheong Wa Dae
By Nam Hyun-woo
DPK contenders question each other's party loyalty
By Nam Hyun-woo
The late former President Roh Moo-hyun is being invoked in a fierce verbal battle between ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) presidential contenders, who appear to be appealing to the party's loyalists for support.
Leading contenders Gyeonggi Province Governor Lee Jae-myung and former Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon are clashing over whether the latter cast a ballot to impeach Roh, a liberal president serving from 2003 to 2008 who belonged to a DPK predecessor, the Millennium Democratic Party. Despite some DPK members' concerns over internal strife, other contenders are also joining the fray, questioning each other's loyalty to the party.
The dispute began when Governor Lee raised allegations last week that former Prime Minister Lee may have voted for Roh's impeachment, countering the latter's earlier questions over the former's integrity as a DPK member.
From left, Gyeonggi Province Governor Lee Jae-myung, and former Prime Ministers Lee Nak-yon and Chung Sye-kyun / Yonhap
After Roh won the presidential election in 2002, the Millennium Democratic Party suffered a factional dispute, and Roh loyalist lawmakers broke away and created the Uri Party in 2003. Lee Nak-yon and Choo Mi-ae, former justice minister and now a DPK presidential contender, stayed with the Millennium Democratic Party, which joined forces with conservative parties and passed Roh's impeachment motion at the National Assembly in March 2004.
The motion was overturned at the Constitutional Court two months later, restoring Roh's presidential powers. The issue has remained deep among the liberal bloc, and some DPK members raise doubts whether those who stuck with the Millennium Democratic Party are suitable to carry on the liberal party's spirit and the legacy of Roh and President Moon Jae-in. Moon was chief of staff for Roh and one of the closest aides to the late president.
During a radio interview on Wednesday, Rep. Kim Young-jin, a member of Governor Lee's election camp, demanded the former prime minister reveal whether he agreed with or opposed Roh's impeachment during the 2004 Assembly vote before making claims that he is the rightful successor of the Moon administration.
Hours later, former Prime Minister Lee said in a TV interview that he voted against Roh's impeachment, but Governor Lee on Thursday suggested that the former prime minister was lying, citing photos showing him standing near other lawmakers who were having a physical scuffle to pass the impeachment motion.
In this March 12, 2004, photo, Rep. Lee Nak-yon of the Millennium Democratic Party, center left, watches Rep. Song Young-gil of the Uri Party, center, who scuffles with lawmakers attempting to pass an impeachment motion of then-President Roh Moo-hyun. Captured from Rep. Kim Nam-kuk's Facebook
With the two sides exchanging salvos on Lee Nak-yon's choice in 2004, other DPK contenders are also joining the fray. Rep. Kim Du-kwan denounced Choo Thursday saying that she played a leading role in Roh's impeachment in 2004.
Choo responded on Friday that she had apologized several times for her vote to impeach Roh, and she has never dodged her responsibility for the issue.
In a separate interview, Chung Sye-kyun, another former prime minister and DPK contender, said “I am the one who strived to deter the impeachment and protect former President Roh.”
As the contenders' fight turns into in-house mudslinging, DPK Chairman Rep. Song Young-gil said Friday that they should not “cross the line” and asked them to refrain from smear campaigning.
Also on Friday, Kwak Sang-eon, Roh's son-in-law and vice president of the DPK's Institute for Democracy, wrote on Facebook, “Please let go of Roh from the election” and “stop making factions with Roh.”