hankyoreh

Chairman Moon Sung-hyun of the minor progressive opposition Democratic Labor Party (DLP), who as of March 22 had been waging a hunger strike for the 15th consecutive day in front of the presidential office against the proposed South Korea-U.S. free trade agreement (FTA), asked for a bilateral discussion with President Roh Moo-hyun on the topic.

Through an open letter to Roh, Moon wrote, "President Roh, who was a lawyer supporting the cause of labor in the 1980s, is now spearheading the neo-liberalism camp that is forcing through the FTA [on the behalf of the U.S.=delete]. I cannot understand his intention to finish the FTA negotiations without further public discussion of the matter." In the letter, Moon sarcastically said that "FTA" was an acronym symbolizing "For The America" [sic].

The letter continued, "When the FTA results come out at the end of this month, people will know that we have gained nothing. And then the majority of the population will certainly oppose the FTA. It should be reasonable that President Roh meets with me earlier than that," said Moon in the letter.

Throughout the letter, Moon repeatedly called for a public referendum on the FTA.

According to the DLP, Moon has lost 8 kilograms and his blood pressure is very unstable. Doctors have advised Moon to get an injection of nutrient-rich Ringer’s solution, but he has rejected it.

This is not Moon’s first hunger strike. In 2000, he went without food for 20 days when he was a leader of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions.

With Seoul so far making no plans for a referendum, and with high-level meetings between Seoul and Washington scheduled to conclude by the end of March, Moon’s hunger strike will likely last more than 20 days this time, meaning that Moon will pass March 26 - his 55th birthday - on the street outside of the president’s office.

Please direct questions or comments to [englishhani@hani.co.kr]