The newly elected leadership of the Democratic Party of Korea visits the grave of late former President Roh Moo-hyun at Bongha Village in Gimhae, South Gyeongsang Province, in August, making their way to Neoreokbawi rock. [Yonhap]
The newly elected leadership of the Democratic Party of Korea visits the grave of late former President Roh Moo-hyun at Bongha Village in Gimhae, South Gyeongsang Province, in August, making their way to Neoreokbawi rock. [Yonhap]

The Roh Moo-hyun Foundation sharply criticized independent lawmaker Han Dong-hoon on Tuesday for raising allegations related to the late former president, saying "even political fights have decorum and limits."

Breaking its silence on the controversy, the foundation issued a statement Tuesday expressing "deep regret" over Han's remarks.

"We express deep concern and regret over the situation in which lawmaker Han is presenting allegations related to the former president's prosecution investigation — allegations that have never been legally confirmed — as if they were established facts," the foundation said. "What Han claims as fact is not a final judicial determination by a court, but merely statements or allegations that emerged during the investigation process. It is inappropriate to treat unconfirmed suspicions from the investigative stage as fact and exploit them for political purposes."

The foundation also said Roh "never acknowledged prior knowledge of or involvement in the matters raised by prosecutors during his lifetime," adding that Han "is treating everything prosecutors alleged at the time as confirmed fact. This is an insult to the deceased."

It added that Roh "did not accept the allegations prosecutors raised," yet "took moral responsibility separate from the legal dispute. He bore the weight of that responsibility with his entire life. And in doing so, he is now gone."

The foundation said it hoped "the weight of responsibility that former President Roh sought to bear will be respected," and that "the solemn decision of the deceased, who shouldered every burden alone, will be remembered exactly as he intended."

It also said "invoking a former president who passed away 17 years ago on the basis of unconfirmed allegations is a cowardly political attack," and issued a stern demand that Han "immediately stop using former President Roh as a tool for political strife."

Meanwhile, after Han raised the allegations, the Democratic Party of Korea demanded an apology. Han fired back with a rebuttal of his own, and the clash between the two sides shows no signs of dying down.


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