Former presidents pop up ahead of upcoming elections
Former presidents of Korea have been taking contrasting approaches to their political appearances, with less than two weeks to go before the April 10 general elections. Former liberal President Moon Jae-in has been active in supporting opposition candidates, while two former conservative presidents — Park Geun-hye and Lee Myung-bak — have remained relatively quiet.
Moon, Friday, visited Sasang District of Busan, where he was previously elected as a lawmaker, to join the campaign of Bae Jae-jeung, a candidate of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK).
He also visited his hometown, Geoje of South Gyeongsang Province, wearing a blue jacket, Wednesday, and climbed Mount Gyeryong with former Geoje Mayor Byun Gwang-yong, who is running for a seat in the region.
Park Geun-hye, the disgraced former president and daughter of former dictator Park Chung-hee, has only been openly supportive of her close aide Yoo Yeong-ha, among ruling People Power Party (PPP) candidates. Yoo served as Park’s attorney in the massive corruption scandal that ultimately led to her impeachment in 2017.
Park met with PPP interim leader Han Dong-hoon at her residence in Daegu on Tuesday and requested unity among conservatives.
Lee Myung-bak, another former president, has made no particular moves in supporting conservative candidates.
Instead, he visited the Daejeon National Cemetery on Monday, on the eve of the 14th anniversary of the sinking of the South Korean Navy corvette Cheonan, paying honor to fallen heroes.
“We shall never forget the Cheonan’s fallen heroes’ love for their country and noble sacrifice,” he wrote in the visitors’ book at the cemetery.