'Park should care for laborers'

By Jun Ji-hye

Moon Jae-in Former presidential candidate

Moon Jae-in, former presidential candidate for the Democratic United Party (DUP), Thursday asked President-elect Park Geun-hye to tackle the hardships facing manual laborers when she takes power.

Moon, who disappeared from public view after attending a ceremony to disband his election team last week, showed up at the funeral of the late Choi Kang-seo, a former Hanjin Heavy Industries and Construction worker who committed suicide on Dec. 21.

While in Busan, Moon conveyed his condolences to the bereaved family.

After the visit, Moon posted on his Twitter page, “We shouldn’t let these sad things happen again. Regardless of which party you come from, it is all politicians’ obligation to look after working people when they are facing difficulties.”

Especially, he appealed to the 60-year-old president-elect by saying, “I want to ask Park to pay special attention to such people. Please give hope to them.”

Moon quoted the widow of Choi as saying, “Police and the media didn’t properly inform the public of Choi’s full statement in his will.”

According to her, Choi’s final will began with the phrase, “I abhor the company. I was beaten by the arrogance of the haves. I don’t know what to do.”

Moon tweeted that he can’t find words to express his frustration and despair.

Regarding the worker’s death, the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions’ Busan branch held a rally at the Busan Station Plaza and claimed the company’s indefinite layoffs led to Choi’s death.

Other than Choi, two more workers committed suicide after Moon failed to win over the ruling Saenuri Party’s Park Geun-hye in the Dec. 19 election.

Lee Un-nam, Hyundai Heavy Industries worker, killed himself on Dec. 22 and a labor activist Choi Kyung-nam on Dec. 25.

Following such deaths, Moon tweeted, “I am really sorry for these. I feel a big responsibility. Please keep your hopes up. Another laborer died. I am sorry as I could not help him. But we should not give up hope.”

Meanwhile, other attendees of the funeral that Moon went to quoted the democrat as saying, “I want the DUP to do its best to help such laborers after it establishes an emergency committee. We need to embrace each other and tell ourselves that it will just take a bit more time.”

But, Moon allegedly has lost his footing within the party after the election defeat because anti-Roh people have been asking him and pro-Roh faction members to take responsibility for the election defeat. Some party members called for him to resign from the National Assembly.

Moon is currently staying at his house in Yangsan, South Gyeongsang Province and is reportedly thinking about what he will do next.