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| Chung Sye-kyun, center, the new chairman of the Roh Moo-hyun Foundation, poses with former chairman Ryu Si-min, on his left, and former acting-chairman Rhee Jung-ho, on his right, during his inauguration ceremony held at Daraehun Center in Seoul's Mapo District, Friday. Newsis |
By Jung Da-min
Former Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun of the ruling liberal Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) assumed his post Friday as head of the Roh Moo-hyun Foundation, a public foundation in memory of liberal former President Roh Moo-hyun.
"We can be discouraged, but we cannot be frustrated or give up," Chung said during his inauguration ceremony, held at Daraehun Center in Seoul's Mapo District. Chung's remarks were widely seen as a move to comfort DPK supporters after DPK candidate Lee Jae-myung lost to Yoon Suk-yeol of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) in the March 9 presidential election.
"The world that President Roh had longed for ― a world for people to live in ― seems so far away and to take a long time to reach," Chung said, referring to Roh's signature phrase, "a world for people to live in," meaning a world where the underprivileged can live without discrimination and be treated the same as the privileged.
Among the other attendees were Ryu Si-min, a politician, writer, commentator and the former chairman of the Roh Moo-hyun Foundation, and Rhee Jung-ho, the former acting-chairman of the foundation, as well as DPK lawmakers including Rep. Kim Young-joo, Rep. Seo Young-kyo, Rep. Kim Kyo-heung and Rep. Lee Won-wook.
Ryu said, "The Roh Moo-hyun Foundation's name includes former President Roh's name in it, but it should go further to represent the whole vision and belief of democracy, reformation and progress to support and spread such values."
Ryu said that the foundation has close spiritual ties with the DPK, and that it should be developed as a private organization which is physically independent but connected in terms of its purpose and aims.
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