Jung Chung-rae Vows to Complete Prosecution Reform at Roh's Grave

Jung Chung-rae, former leader of the Democratic Party of Korea and a candidate for the party leadership, visited Bongha Village in Gimhae, South Gyeongsang Province, on Saturday, pledging to carry on the political philosophy of the late former President Roh Moo-hyun. "Coming to Bongha, I once again resolved to complete prosecution reform," he said.

Jung posted a message titled "Chairman Roh, I miss you dearly" on his social networking service (SNS) that day. After paying his respects at the grave of the former president, he said, "Coming to Bongha today, I think of Roh Moo-hyun's dream."

"I am a member of Nosamo," he said, referring to Roh Moo-hyun's supporters' group. "At Nosamo, I learned horizontal leadership, and I called for breaking down authoritarianism, breaking down regional antagonism, and national unity." He added, "Thanks to President Roh Moo-hyun, I was able to receive a nomination and become a National Assembly member. The starting point of Jung Chung-rae's politics was the spirit of Roh Moo-hyun. Then and now, I am proud to be a Roh Moo-hyun kid."

"Serving the people, who are the owners of the nation, and serving the party members, who are the owners of the party, is also the spirit of Roh Moo-hyun," he said. "I will keep faith with the people and party members, with democracy and history, with President Roh Moo-hyun, and with President Lee Jae-myung."

Jung repeatedly stressed his commitment to prosecution reform. "Coming to Bongha, I once again resolved to complete prosecution reform," he wrote. "Countless people lost their lives to the prosecution's sword. When I think of how difficult it must have been for President Roh Moo-hyun as he traveled between Bongha and Seoul to undergo prosecution questioning, tears come to my eyes."

He added, "Even now, there are many second Roh Moo-hyuns who wish to realize the spirit of Roh Moo-hyun and the dream of political reform. I am one of them." Jung has been putting prosecution reform at the center of the party leadership race, recently repeatedly calling for a revision of the Criminal Procedure Act centered on the complete abolition of supplementary investigation authority.