[Editorial] The debate about Roh’s website

Posted on : 2008-09-20 11:25 KST Modified on : 2008-09-20 11:25 KST

Former President Roh Moo-hyun has opened an “Internet debate site” called “Democracy 2.0.” In his introduction to it he writes that the “key values of mature democracy are debate and compromise, and we must develop communication in civil society to promote those. I’ve created this site in the hope it creates civil space for dialogue that is free and has depth.”

Close aides of Roh denied that Roh is maneuvering to re-enter politics, saying he will not even be directly participating in the online debates at the site.

You should not have your freedom of expression restricted just for being a former president. And there is nothing wrong if, as he says, a former president is working to promote more active civic debate, so essential as that is for democracy. However, having the previous president making and operating his own “debate site” could, instead of helping the further development of our democracy, actually exacerbate the political animosity and confrontation by spreading unnecessary controversy. It is cause for concern.

Roh’s people say the site is just “part of (carrying out the) former president’s social responsibility,” but many in the country are unable to rid themselves of the suspicion that he is trying to grow his political influence and shore up support again. He and his people may want to protest the suspicions and say the public is wrongly insisting on interpreting his actions as being part of a political comeback, but given that a culture of respect for former presidents has yet to take root in Korea, one would like to see former presidents be more prudent about keeping a safe distance from politics. Roh needs to remind himself of what the general interpretation was when two of his aides recently became in-laws and he spoke at the ceremony, held at a golf course with large numbers of “pro-Roh” figures in attendance.

We are not saying that people traditionally close to Roh should not get involved in politics. It is up to them whether they want to group together for politics, and it is up to the Korean people to judge them later on the action they take. Whatever happens, it is inappropriate for a former president to be standing right in the middle of any of that kind of regrouping. Go to “Democracy 2.0” and already you see people posting demands for Roh to re-enter politics. While those calls may have nothing to do with what Roh himself has in mind, even having that being something talked about is undesirable. We would ask that he give more prudent consideration to “Democracy 2.0” so as to minimize the political controversy.

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