The ruling and opposition parties attended the memorial service held on the 15th anniversary of the death of former President Kim Dae-jung on the 18th, and each delivered a eulogy emphasizing different aspects. While Han Dong-hoon, the leader of the People Power Party, emphasized former President Kim’s insight that transcended factions and penetrated the spirit of the times, Park Chan-dae, the acting leader and floor leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, criticized the Yoon Seok-yeol administration by quoting former President Kim’s retirement speech in which he said, “Compromising with injustice means eternal death.”
The memorial service was held at 10 a.m. that day at the National Cemetery in Dongjak-gu, Seoul. Around 600 people attended the event, including Representative Han, Floor Leader Park, National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-sik, and Senior Presidential Secretary for Political Affairs Hong Chul-ho.
In his eulogy, a representative said, “If we look at the passage of time, it seems that President Kim Dae-jung’s politics have gradually been forgotten, but that is not the case,” and “Many citizens are still thinking about President Kim Dae-jung’s politics and leadership.”
He continued, “President Kim Dae-jung showed insight that transcended political factions and penetrated the spirit of the times,” and said, “If we put his words into practice, we will surely be able to create a Republic of Korea that is much better than it is now.”
One representative also mentioned the words of former President Kim Dae-jung, such as, “You must have both a commercial sense of reality and a scholarly awareness of problems,” “Politicians must be half a step ahead of the people,” “You must look closely like a microscope and far away like a telescope,” and “Politics is like a lotus that blooms in the mud.”
On the other hand, floor leader Park Chan-dae pointed out, “In just two and a half years of the arrogant and self-righteous Yoon Seok-yeol administration, democracy has collapsed, the people’s economy has collapsed, and peace and security on the Korean Peninsula have been shattered. They are even attempting an anti-national ‘historical coup’ that is destroying the identity and spirit of the Republic of Korea’s constitution.” He added, “The Republic of Korea that the president firmly established is now being shaken to its roots by a total crisis.”
He then said, “Compromising with injustice means eternal death, but refusing to compromise even if it means dying means eternal life,” and emphasized, “As the President said, I will not compromise with injustice. I will stop the tyranny of the Yoon Seok-yeol administration.”
Lee Jae-myung, the Democratic Party’s representative candidate, said on Facebook on the same day, “Today, more than ever, we need the spirit of Kim Dae-jung,” and “The teachings of a scholar’s sense of problem and a merchant’s sense of reality are the roots of ‘eating-sanism.’ If there is no path, we will make one, and we will create hope even in despair.”
The leader of the Fatherland Innovation Party, Cho Kuk, also raised his voice toward the Yoon Seok-yeol administration. He raised his voice on Facebook, saying, “The DJ spirit is needed most now. This is because the place where the military regime’s boots were stamped out is now the unprincipled dictatorship of the prosecution disguising the rule of law as the rule of law.”
Reporter Kim Hye-rin, Donga.com [email protected]
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2024-08-19 10:49:33