By Yi Whan-woo
Rep. Moon Jae-in, the chairman of the main opposition New Politics Alliance, is increasingly mimicking the ruling Saenuri Party over national security issues in the lead-up to the parliamentary by-elections on April 29.
Critics have speculated that Moon is taking such steps to prevent the conservative Saenuri Party from classifying the NPAD as a pro-North Korean group in the election campaigns.
“By doing so, Moon is biding to woo conservative and moderate voters,” an expert said on condition of anonymity.
On Thursday, Moon was present at Daejeon National Cemetery to attend the fifth anniversary ceremony of the sinking of South Korean naval frigate Cheonan.
In his visit to a front-line military unit, Wednesday, he made clear that North Korea was responsible for the sinking of the warship that left 46 sailors dead.
“It was a North Korean submarine that attacked Cheonan and retreated,” he said during his visit to a battalion under the 2nd Marine Division in Ganghwa Island off the West Sea.
This was the first time an opposition leader openly stated that the repressive state was behind the attack on March 26, 2010.
The liberal-minded NPAD has faced criticism for being “soft” on North Korea. Some of its lawmakers have even have raised questions over the conclusion by the multinational team of investigators that the South Korean warship was sunk by a North Korean torpedo attack. Moon stressed the importance of passing a pending bill calling for improvement of the regime’s dire human rights record.
The rival parties will compete in four constituencies — Gwanak-B in Seoul, Joongwon-B in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, Seogu-B in Gwangju and Ganghwa-B in Incheon.