President Lee denounces 2008 candlelight vigil demonstrations

Posted on : 2010-05-12 12:25 KST Modified on : 2019-10-19 20:29 KST
Experts say the ruling government is on the defensive in anticipation of a groundswell of support for the opposition on the May 23 one-year anniversary of the death of late President Roh Moo-hyun
 May 11.
May 11.

President Lee Myung-bak delivered sharp criticism Tuesday directed at the candlelight vigil demonstrations against resumed U.S. beef imports that took place two years ago.

During a Cabinet meeting Tuesday, President Lee said, “It has been two years since the candlelight vigil demonstrations and although many suppositions proved untrue, not one of those intellectuals or medical sector figures who participated back then has engaged in any reflection.”

The president also said, “Without reflection, there is no development of society.” He added, “I would like to say that it is positive that one daily newspaper reevaluated this in the form of a focused feature piece to mark the second anniversary.”

The president’s praise was directed at the Chosun Ilbo, which has recently printed feature articles stating that the mad cow disease threat was revealed to be a ghost story, using interviews with candlelight vigil participants.

President Lee also stated that the candlelight vigil demonstrations were more a problem of social responsibility than of legal responsibility. He said, “In view of the fact that such upheavals should be recorded in our history, I would like the related ministries and offices, including the Prime Minister’s Office, the Ministry for Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, the Foreign Ministry and the Ministry of Knowledge Economy, to prepare objective and scientific reports.”

The president’s remarks represent a 180-degree turn from the apologies he made before the South Korean people on two occasions when he was faced with crisis due to the candlelight vigil demonstrations two years ago. On May 22, 2008, he said in an address to the people, “It is all my fault,” and on June 19 of that year, he said during a special press conference, “I am engaging in some painful reflection.”

In particular, President Lee said at the time, “I will ponder the lesson learned through this matter as I face my governance duties throughout my term in office.”

He also pledged to improve his communication with the people, reshuffle positions in the Cheong Wa Dae (the presidential office in South Korea or Blue House) and Cabinet, and abandon his plans for the Grand Korean Waterway. This was an admission by President Lee that the candlelight vigil demonstrations were not only about the dangers of mad cow disease from U.S. beef, but also an expression of negative popular sentiments regarding the one-sided governance and expediency tactics he showed early in his term and the appointments of wealthy Gangnam elites and Korea University, Somang Church and Youngnam region individuals, the so-called “Ko So Young,” to prominent positions.

Ko So-young is a famous South Korean actress, but the phrase is also a play on the words ko, for the president’s alma mater Korea University, so, the church he attends, and young, Yongnam Province, where President Lee received strong voter support in last election.

Ahn Jin-geol, director of the Public Welfare Hope Team for People’s Solidarity for Participatory Democracy, said Tuesday, “It is brazen for President Lee to apologize twice for giving concerns to the people and even promise to carry out additional beef negotiations, and then turn around and tell the people they need to reflect.” Ahn also said, “This proves that the president’s apologies back then were lies.”

The ruling Grand National Party (GNP) also joined in on the condemnation of candlelight vigil demonstrations. Party spokesman Cho Hae-jin issued a statement Tuesday which stated, “The 2008 mad cow disease chaos was a great big swindle that was planned by groups hoping to overturn the governing system of the Republic of Korea, instigated by certain media, where the Internet was used as an instrument of conspiracy, and in which even opposition parties blindly followed along.” Cho also said, “The mad cow disease contingent should get down on their knees at Cheonggye Plaza and raise candles of apology to the people.”

Cho added, “They are professional subversives focused solely on bringing down the Republic of Korea, and they thought of the mad cow disease fracas merely as kindling for rocking the system.” He continued on to say, “They are like grasshoppers roaming around from issue to issue, like the Four Major Rivers Restoration Project, free school lunches and the regional elections, looking for a new link in their struggle, and they are fanning the flames in order to create a new blaze.”

Analysts have interpreted the ruling party’s attack on the candlelight vigil demonstrations prior to the first anniversary of former President Roh Moo-hyun’s death on May 23 and the regional elections on June 2 as intended to forestall any “Roh effect” on the outcome of the elections.

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

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