'Moon has lived respectable life'

By Kim Hyo-jin

Kim Jung-hak

Senior judge Kim Jung-hak, President Moon Jae-in’s longtime friend, recalls Moon as the savior of his life.

The 64-year-old judge said Moon helped him get through difficult periods of his life and even helped him become a judge.

“As a person who has been in a 50-year friendship with him, I can say Jae-in has lived a respectable life,” Kim said in a recent interview with the Hankook Ilbo, the sister paper of The Korea Times.

Kim, Moon’s friend and fellow alumni from Kyungnam middle and high schools, contracted polio at a young age and had trouble walking. Moon used to walk him to school, carrying Kim’s school bag. Keeping pace with his disabled friend, would often make Moon late for his class.

“Even though I told him ‘You go first so you won’t be late for school,’ he never stopped walking along with me,” Kim said. “Knowing that I would be let down if he had left me behind, he opted for being late.”

Once, there was a school outing at high school. Kim first thought of not going, but Moon encouraged him to take the trail with him.

Both made the slow journey on the outing venue while Moon carried him on his back, resting intermittently. When they finally got there, the outing was already over. But Kim recalls that the journey was one of the best times of his life.

“Other friends gave me piggy back rides in return on the way back after realizing Moon carried me there alone,” he said. “We were so small at our junior year of high school. I remember Moon said he wished he wasn’t so short. Still, he had no problem carrying me on his back. Moon grew over 10 centimeters during his second year.”

Kim said he would not have become a judge without Moon’s help. After graduating from the law school at Seoul National University, he attempted to run his own business but failed. Moon helped his friend get back on his feet.

“Knowing that I was in a difficult situation, Jae-in proposed I prepare for the bar exam, saying he would pay for the expenses,” Kim said.

Moon, who then had just started his career as a lawyer in Busan, supported Kim financially despite his own tight-budgeted life, buying Kim books for the exam and offering him pocket money for two years until he passed the exam.

Kim said he hopes Moon will seek national unity. “I hope the new president will stand on the side of the weak as he did for me.”