Opposition party courting Jeolla residents

Kim Chong-in, head of the emergency committee of the main opposition United Future Party, kneels and bows his head during a visit to the May 18th National Cemetery for people who were killed by the Korean military during the 1980 pro-democracy movement in Gwangju, Wednesday. Yonhap

By Do Je-hae

The main opposition United Future Party (UFP) is drawing attention for attempting to embrace the Jeolla region, the traditional stronghold of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK).

Kim Chong-in, the chairman of the UFP's emergency committee, visited, Wednesday, a memorial cemetery for the fallen members of the May 18 Gwangju pro-democracy movement.

It is the first time for Kim, who has been leading the conservative opposition party since June following the party's defeat in the April general election, to visit Gwangju, the home of Korea's liberal politics.

The UFP has been not welcomed there as some of its former and incumbent far-right members made remarks distorting and disparaging the history of the city where hundreds of citizens were killed during the military suppression orchestrated by Chun Doo-hwan who had taken power in a military coup.

The visit is reflective of the main opposition's special attention to court voters in the southwestern region, at a time when support for the liberal Moon Jae-in administration is declining rapidly due to policy failures.

Upon arriving at the May 18 National Cemetery in Gwangju, Kim paid tribute at the graves of those who lost their lives during the movement. In the guestbook, he wrote, "I will do my best to develop democracy in accordance with the spirit of the May 18 democratization movement.”

Kim knelt down with other party leadership members for about 15 seconds in front of a memorial tower and bowed his head.

“Despite the tragic incident in Gwangju, our party has not taken stern measures against the wrong remarks and actions of some people who deny it and undermine the spirit of May 18. I offer a sincere apology as the person responsible for the wrong words and actions of our party,” Kim said in a statement delivered at the memorial.

“Reconciliation over history can be achieved through the perpetrators' self-reflection and confession, but we can't expect sincere self-reflection from those who were in power. So I kneel in their stead,” Kim said, drawing inference of Chun's continued denial of his involvement in the military suppression.

“I seek forgiveness from the people of Gwangju and the deceased victims. I am ashamed and sorry. I came too late.”

The rare visit is seen as a departure from the stance the UFP has taken over the years on the Gwangju movement. Some members of the UFP have made remarks that were seen to undermine the victims of the movement, describing the protesters as “monsters” and “insurgents.”

The party has recently started to push for a bill for pension payment for the victims of the movement. “If confrontation is raised within the party, we can resolve it through discussion,” Kim said during a press conference at the Kimdaejung Convention Center in Gwangju after his visit to the cemetery. “The May 18 pro-democracy movement is an undeniable fact of history.”

Kim has recently ordered the inclusion of the spirit of the May 18 movement in the party's new platform, making an aggressive attempt to embrace the people of the Jeolla region.