"Again Summoning Roh Moo-hyun... Son-in-law Gwak Sang-eon Appeals to Let Go in Election"

Gwak Sang-eon, lawyer and son-in-law of the late former President Roh Moo-hyun

[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Sumi] Regarding the heated controversy over the impeachment of the late President Roh Moo-hyun in the Democratic Party's presidential primary, Roh's son-in-law, lawyer Kwak Sang-eon, appealed, "Please leave Roh Moo-hyun out of the election."

On the 23rd, Lawyer Kwak posted a message titled "Roh Moo-hyun summoned again" on his Facebook, saying this. He urged, "Please do not divide people based on Roh Moo-hyun or consume Roh Moo-hyun antagonistically."

In the heated controversy over the impeachment of the late former President Roh Moo-hyun during the Democratic Party's presidential primary, Roh's son-in-law, lawyer Kwak Sang-eon, appealed on his Facebook on the 23rd, saying, "Please let Roh Moo-hyun go in the election."
[Photo by Facebook]

Currently, in the Democratic Party, as the presidential primary heats up, a battle over the truth regarding the past impeachment vote of former President Roh is ongoing among candidates.

The issue was first raised by the camp of Gyeonggi Province Governor Lee Jae-myung in the Democratic Party primary. On the 21st, when former party leader Lee Nak-yeon stated that he "opposed" the impeachment vote of former President Roh, Lee Jae-myung directly refuted this.

On the 22nd, after holding a press conference on the basic income pledge at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, Lee targeted former leader Lee, saying, "Looking at the photos from the (Roh impeachment) period, there was even physical enforcement to push through the vote, so I don't understand how you say you recently voted against it."

Lee also said, "There are articles written by Representative Yoon Young-chan, who is currently in Lee Nak-yeon's camp, from his days as a journalist, stating that former leader Lee switched to support the impeachment," adding, "From what I see, (former leader Lee) must have cast a supporting vote."

In response, Lee Nak-yeon's camp criticized this as "malicious slander caused by Lee Jae-myung's anxiety and nervousness." They pointed out, "Those who troubled President Roh are now making a controversy over whether they participated in the impeachment or not, which is politically exploiting the deceased once again."

On May 6th, Lee Jae-myung, Governor of Gyeonggi Province, paid respects at the burial site of the late former President Roh Moo-hyun in Bongha Village, Jinyeong-eup, Gimhae City, Gyeongnam Province. [Image source=Yonhap News]

Other candidates also jumped into the legitimacy competition by invoking former President Roh.

Former Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said, "I was the one who stayed at the chairman's seat until the end to protect President Roh and prevent the impeachment."

Representative Kim Doo-kwan raised the issue of impeachment responsibility and simultaneously criticized former leader Lee Nak-yeon and former Minister of Justice Choo Mi-ae. Kim claimed that former leader Lee and former Minister Choo were "the main actors of the party that impeached President Roh in cooperation with the opposition party then called the Grand National Party (now People Power Party)."

In response, former Minister Choo said, "As a Supreme Council member at the time, I apologize for inevitably joining the impeachment camp at the end," but refuted that she never avoided or denied responsibility for the impeachment.

Meanwhile, Democratic Party leader Song Young-gil publicly expressed concern as the primary process saw truth battles overshadowing policy debates.

On the morning of the 23rd at the Supreme Council meeting, Leader Song said, "Due to the negative campaigns of the presidential candidates, party members and the public are worried," emphasizing, "Especially, the presidential election is not a debate about the past but a choice to move toward the future, so a debate with boundaries is necessary with the mindset of one team."

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