Former Democratic Party leader apologizes for funeral remark while doubling down on criticism over Roh-era Korea-US FTA opposition

Jung Chung-rae (left), former leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, shakes hands with former leader Song Young-gil upon entering a general assembly meeting at the National Assembly on June 11. [Yonhap]
Jung Chung-rae (left), former leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, shakes hands with former leader Song Young-gil upon entering a general assembly meeting at the National Assembly on June 11. [Yonhap]

Song Young-gil, former leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, apologized Tuesday for claiming that Jung Chung-rae had not attended the state funeral of the late former President Roh Moo-hyun, saying he would correct the record. Even so, Song renewed his criticism of Jung, saying Jung had led the charge against Roh's push for a Korea-US free trade agreement.

In a Facebook post Tuesday, Song wrote that he would retract his earlier statement after seeing an interview in which Jung said he had been in China on the day of the funeral and attended the following day. "I apologize," Song added.

The previous day, on KBS Radio's "Jeongyeok Sisa," Song had taken aim at Jung's recent emphasis on being a "Roh Moo-hyun protégé." "Jung couldn't possibly say that," Song said. "Jung completely turned his back on former President Roh and couldn't even attend the funeral." He also argued that, whatever others might claim, Jung in particular had no standing to invoke Roh's political lineage.

Jung fired back, calling the claim "100 percent false." "Of course I mourned and attended," he said, calling on Song to apologize.

Song explained that he had made the remark while trying to argue that Jung — though originally a member of the Roh fan club Nosamo — had drifted away from it after becoming a core figure in the "Jeong Dong-young loyalist circle," and was invoking Roh's legacy only to attack another candidate, Prime Minister Kim Min-seok. "In the course of answering, I had no memory of seeing Jung on May 23, so I said he hadn't attended the funeral," Song said.

"The essence of what I said is that we all feel we failed to protect former President Roh," he said. "We must never let such a tragedy happen again."

Song said that when Roh pursued the Korea-US FTA, most Democratic Party lawmakers fiercely opposed and criticized it — "and Jung was at the forefront of that opposition," he said.

He went on to say that the true heirs to Roh's legacy today are not Jung Chung-rae, Kim Min-seok or Song Young-gil himself, but "the awakened citizens who pledge to protect and ensure the success of President Lee Jae Myung — the second Roh Moo-hyun — and to never again repeat the tragedy of former President Roh."


sunpine@heraldcorp.com