Singer honors late Roh Moo-hyun in new video

Lee Seung-hwan, left, and the late President Roh Moo-hyun

By Ko Dong-hwan

Veteran singer Lee Seung-hwan, 49, is preparing to release a new video offering tribute to the late President Roh Moo-hyun.

The video is for Lee’s song, “A Better World,’’ from his latest album “Fall to Fly’’ released in March.

The song’s lyrics are based on a poem by Do Jong-hwan, whose verses made Lee think of how Roh lived and died, the singer said.

“I thought about president Roh when I recorded the song,” Lee said in a media interview.

Cartoonist Kang Pool, film director Oh Seung-yoon and calligrapher Gong Byung-gook participated in creating the video. The Roh Moo-hyun Foundation also provided a specially designed portrait of Roh for use in Lee’s video.

Roh, Korea’s last president a liberal party, leaped to his death in 2009. While Roh left a mixed legacy as president, he continues to be lionized by liberal politicians, who remember his down-to-earth personality and contributions as a human rights lawyer and democratization activist.

The video is scheduled to be released on Friday (May 23), which will be the fifth anniversary of Roh’s death.