hankyoreh

Former South Korean President Moon Jae-in speaks at an event marking the centenary of the birth of former President Kim Dae-jung on Jan. 6 in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province. (Kim Gyoung-ho/The Hankyoreh)

During an event marking the centenary of former President Kim Dae-jung’s birth, former President Moon Jae-in revealed that Kim’s last wish was the consolidation of opposition parties. The remark seems to be a criticism of a push within the opposition to create a new party ahead of April’s general election. 

In a remark likely aimed at the current Yoon Suk-yeol administration, Moon also said that “politics of alienation and retaliation” have impeded national unity. 
 
“Kim lamented the three crises of democracy, of people’s livelihoods, and of inter-Korean relations,” Moon stated during his address at an event on Saturday marking the centenary of former President Kim Dae-jung’s birth held at KINTEX in Goyang, a city not far from Seoul.

“He also urged younger generations to unite the opposition and enable a change in government, stating that he was too old, sick, and weak to do so himself,” Moon went on.
 
Moon stated that those words were spoken at the last meal he shared with Kim before the latter’s death.
 
“Those words are unforgettable. The last will and testament that he left to his successors was what spurred me to enter politics,” Moon went on. “That strong determination led to the unification of the opposition through the birth of the Democratic United Party, which brought about a change in administration.”
 
“Now, in the face of another crisis, we should heed Kim’s last words and unite under the collective goals of democracy, improving the people’s livelihoods, and peace. I hope that this event will revive the spirit and values hailed by Kim, and prompt people to seek a way to put them into practice,” he went on to say.
 
“But today, we stand ashamed in front of Kim. The world he so longed for is moving out of our reach, and the world we are living in is regressing. Democracy is once again facing a crisis and the national economy and people’s livelihoods are growing more strained by the day,” Moon said. 
 
He added that “frozen inter-Korean relations and the rigid international order” have caused military tensions on the Korean Peninsula to intensify. “The continuous politics of alienation and retaliation, as well as politics based on narrow ideology, has further distanced the country from unity and solidarity,” he went on.
 

Still from video marking the centenary of the birth of former President Kim Dae-jung. 

Former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who took the podium after Moon, also criticized the state of South Korean politics. “The ideals that our society holds are incongruous with its actions, and as such, politics is holding the country and the people back. Distrust, irresponsibility, hatred and hostility are rampant,” he said. 
 
Ban urged reflection on the Kim Dae-jung era, in which unification and the livelihoods of individuals were “prioritized above all” so as to restore “confidence and dynamism” to Korean society. 

“Hatred and hostility should be overcome with the embrace of reconciliation and peace,” he said. 
 
National Assembly Speaker Kim Jin-pyo, who worked as senior secretary for state affairs planning in Kim Dae-jung’s “government of the people,” as his administration was known, stated, “I believe that the five years in which the ‘government of the people’ was in power, South Korea was competent, opened the road enabling the country to become a developed power, and enjoyed the best days of democracy.” 

He also added that Kim was always a “harbinger of the times,” saying that the former president “opened up opportunities, and the history of South Korea followed his path towards development.”
 
Pope Francis also sent congratulatory remarks. The pope wrote that Kim had dedicated his life to the development of democracy as well as social and economic progress for the lives of the poor and marginalized. At a time in which conflict, division, and threats are rife, his spirit has become even more important, the message went on. 
  
Moon and former first lady Kim Jung-sook served as honorary chairpersons of the event, and were joined by National Assembly Speaker Kim Jin-pyo, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, Democratic Party floor leader Hong Ihk-pyo, People Power Party interim leader Han Dong-hoon, and former Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon.
 
The sons of former presidents, such as Park Ji-man (son of Park Chung-hee), Roh Jae-heon (Roh Tae-woo), Kim Hyun-chul (Kim Young-sam), Kim Hong-up (Kim Dae-jung), and Kim Hong-up (Kim Dae-jung), also attended the event.

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