Rep. Song Young-gil of the Democratic Party of Korea corrected and apologized for remarks made a day earlier in which he claimed that former party leader Jung Cheong-rae, a rival in the party leadership race, had "failed to attend the funeral of late former President Roh Moo-hyun." However, Song continued the dispute over legitimacy by criticizing Jung's policy positions during Roh's presidency.
Song posted an article titled "What Is the True Legacy of President Roh Moo-hyun" on Facebook on Monday, saying, "After watching Rep. Jung Cheong-rae's interview, I learned he was in China and could not attend that day but attended the following day, so I will correct my remarks." He added, "I apologize."
Earlier, appearing on KBS Radio the previous day, Song had targeted Jung, claiming he "completely turned his back on President Roh Moo-hyun and was unable to attend the funeral." In response, Jung called it "100 percent dissemination of false information" and demanded a public apology, while members of the pro-Jung Cheong-rae faction also pushed back by revealing that he had paid condolences at Bongha Village and attended the funeral.
Song explained the circumstances of his remarks, saying, "I said that because I had no memory of seeing Rep. Jung Cheong-rae on May 23." He nonetheless added, "Although he came from the early Rohsamo (a group of Roh supporters), I thought it was not right for a candidate who grew distant from Rohsamo while serving as a core member of Chung Dong-young's loyalist group to invoke President Roh Moo-hyun's legacy in order to attack another candidate."
Along with his apology, Song continued to check Jung. Referring to the period when Roh pursued the Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement (FTA), Song claimed, "Most Democratic Party lawmakers fiercely opposed it, and Rep. Jung Cheong-rae was at the forefront," adding, "I consistently supported President Roh Moo-hyun's push for the Korea-U.S. FTA."
He went on, "The essence of my remarks is the fact that before President Roh Moo-hyun's death, all of us feel 'jimotmi (sorry for failing to protect you),'" emphasizing, "Such a tragedy must never be repeated again."
Song also drew a line regarding the legitimacy dispute. "The true heirs to Roh Moo-hyun's legacy now are not Jung Cheong-rae, Kim Min-seok, or Song Young-gil, but the awakened citizens who vow to protect and bring success to President Lee Jae-myung, the second Roh Moo-hyun," he said. "The true heirs are the citizens who vow never to let President Roh Moo-hyun's tragedy be repeated."
