On the 80th anniversary of the birth of the late former President Roh Moo-hyun, the broader pro-government camp united as one. After the recent Democratic Party of Korea convention saw the broader camp split into pro-Myung (pro–Lee Jae-myung) and pro-Cheong (pro–Jeong Chung-rae) factions locked in extreme confrontation, it briefly came together under the name "Roh Moo-hyun."
The Roh Moo-hyun Foundation, People Who Make a Better World, on the afternoon of the 31st published the first official biography, "Roh Moo-hyun Biography," to mark the 80th anniversary of the former president's birth and held a publication ceremony. Roh Moo-hyun Biography was written by author Yoon Tae-young, who served in the Participatory Government as Spokesperson, first executive secretary to the president, and speechwriting secretary.
At the Roh Moo-hyun Citizens' Center in Jongno District, Seoul, where the publication ceremony was held, politicians representing the broader pro-government camp appeared one by one. Former senior presidential secretary for political affairs Yoo In-tae, former floor leader Park Kwang-on, former South Chungcheong governor Yang Seung-jo, Rep. Lee Kwang-jae, former South Gyeongsang governor Kim Kyeong-soo, former National Assembly Speaker Jeong Sye-kyun, former head of the Institute for Democracy Yang Jeong-cheol, and former Prime Minister Han Myeong-sook attended the event in person.
Kang Hoon-sik, the presidential chief of staff and one of President Lee Jae-myung's closest aides, also appeared. Kang read President Lee's congratulatory message on his behalf that day. In the message Kang read, President Lee said, "I sincerely congratulate the publication of the meaningful 'Roh Moo-hyun Biography,' which contains President Roh Moo-hyun's life and philosophy," and added, "Before becoming president, I looked at the path he walked. Now that I stand on that path, the anguish, solitude, and weight of decisions imbued in each line strike me with a resonance and gravity quite different from before."
The president said, "The 'world where people live,' the dream the president cherished all his life, remains for us as a task still in progress," and, "We must keep principles while keeping our feet on the ground, and we must not stop at good intentions and slogans but find answers that actually change people's lives."
Kang also wrote on his X, "The passages I underlined the most were those containing former President Roh Moo-hyun's efforts to break through difficulties rather than avoid them, and the struggles of aides who tried to back him up no matter what," adding, "What I once thought belonged to sages or philosophers far away turned out, when actually experienced, to be reality. Maybe that's why my eyes lingered longer."
Democratic Party leader Kim Min-seok and former Minister Kim Boo-kyum also sent flower wreaths and congratulatory banners to celebrate the event. Although the Democratic Party's tug-of-war between the pro-Myung and pro-Cheong factions has continued without a day's pause lately, the publication ceremony for the former president Roh that day showed unity rather than conflict for a change.
Former director Yang Jeong-cheol told a reporter, "Today was a place where Yoon Tae-young, Kim Kyeong-soo, and Lee Kwang-jae shared their memories of former President Roh Moo-hyun," adding, "There was no talk about real-world politics." Regarding President Lee Jae-myung's congratulatory message read by presidential chief of staff Kang Hoon-sik, he said, "It was a reflection on former President Roh and on how, now that he has become president, he revisited the concerns Roh had."
At the venue, former governor Kim Kyeong-soo said he would concurrently serve as Cheong Wa Dae special advisor for political affairs and as executive vice chair of the Democratic Party's Mega-Growth Task Force. He said, "The Cheong Wa Dae special advisor role is nonstanding, so I will carry it out well along with the TF assigned by the party."
Chair Chae Seong-su of the Roh Moo-hyun Foundation told a reporter, "For today's event, we didn't even contact sitting lawmakers and invited only members of the Participatory Government's Blue House," explaining, "These days, depending on interests, some go to leader Kim Min-seok or former leader Jeong Chung-rae, but regardless of that, this was a gathering to remember former President Roh Moo-hyun."