Son Hak-kyu: "President Moon's Task is 'National Unity'... MB and Park Should be Pardoned"

"President Moon and Yoon Seok-yeol Must Have a Time of Repentance"
"Failure of Bareunmirae Party, a Year My Political Passion Collapsed"
"Electoral Reform Needed for Multi-Party and Coalition Politics"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Chun-han] Former Bareunmirae Party leader Sohn Hak-kyu stated on the 31st, addressing President Moon Jae-in, “In 2020, a truly difficult year, we must end it with repentance,” adding, “President Moon must begin with repentance. The president’s duty is national unity.”

On the same day, Sohn wrote on Facebook, “I recommend that President Moon pardon former Presidents Lee Myung-bak and Park Geun-hye,” and said, “If there are legal restrictions, first release them and proceed with the pardon process as soon as possible. This is the beginning of President Moon’s repentance.”

He said, “If (President Moon) was defeated by the Yoon Seok-youl incident, he must humbly accept it,” and added, “Although he said he would apologize to the people as the appointing authority, the subsequent personnel appointments for the Minister of Justice seem only to escalate the conflict. He must be honest and sincere. Then the people will support him.”

He continued, “Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl must also take time for repentance. If he was chosen by the Moon Jae-in administration as the vanguard of purging deep-rooted evils, now he must move toward the path of unity for the future,” and added, “The prosecution should slowly and seriously consider whether it has ever harmed the people’s lives or the nation’s interests.”

Former leader Sohn said, “I have been quiet until now. I have many sins, so what could I say?” and “I am spending time in repentance, blaming my own shortcomings.”

Sohn stated, “When I came out from Gangjin in 2016 and advocated for the 7th Republic, seeking a third way, I was full of desire to open a new path in Korean politics. But it all became a bubble,” and added, “During the electoral reform process, the mixed-member proportional representation system was mutilated, and even that was nullified by the creation of proportional satellite parties by the two major parties. The third zone was frustrated by the failure of the Bareunmirae Party, and Sohn Hak-kyu was disparaged as ‘greedy.’”

Sohn said, “2020 was a year in which my political passion collapsed so vainly. However, my dream of building the 7th Republic and realizing a ‘life with evenings’ is an ideal of our politics that cannot simply be abandoned,” and added, “A multiparty system, coalition politics, and electoral reform for these are tasks that Korea must accomplish.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.