hankyoreh

By Kim Won-chul and Seok Jin-hwan, staff reporters


In response to independent candidate Ahn Cheol-soo's demand that he take "responsible steps" to resume their talks on the guidelines for selection of a final opposition candidate, Democratic United Party (DUP) candidate Moon fired back that Ahn's circle seemed to be reporting things in a deliberately exaggerated and sensationalized way.


Moon's camp also responded to a proposal from Ahn for another meeting after action in taken, issuing its own demand for a meeting without conditions. 
Speaking at a press conference at his campaign headquarters in Seoul's Jongno district, Ahn said it was "time for Moon Jae-in to recognize the problems in the candidate finalization process and take the necessary measures." 
In particular, he said Moon needed to come up with practical measures to ensure no future problems like the alleged press leaks and DUP organizational mobilization efforts that led his camp to back out of the talks. Ahn added that if the DUP candidate did show his will to bring about definite reforms to his party, he wanted to meet personally to discuss ideas for a new political environment and a decision on a final candidate.
 Analysts called it a conditional overture to resume discussions toward a final candidate, provided that Moon took action beforehand.


Park Sun-sook, co-chair of Ahn's campaign headquarters, explained that the "necessary steps" in question including some ideas presented by the people, and others coming from within the DUP's own committee for a new politics. A reform plan adopted by that committee included ideas for cutting the party's central organization, reducing factionalism, and changing the guard with the resignations of chairman Lee Hae-chan and floor leader Park Jie-won.


Yoo Min-young, a spokesman for Ahn's camp, explained, "What this means is that it is important to review and examine the issues and facts about [the DUP's] structure and actions." 


Yoo went on to say that even Ahn Kyung-hwan Seoul National University professor and head of Moon’s new politics committee, talked about reforms to the party, including its entrenched factional interests.


But Moon responded with skepticism in an episode of Ohmy TV's "Open Interview" program filmed that afternoon: 
"It seems that the reports we are getting from his people on the situation with his camp are sensationalized and exaggerated," the candidate said. "Even when issues were raised in the discussion process, there's nothing that wasn't reported to me."


His remarks seemed to reference comments made by Ahn in a Nov. 15 interview with the Hankyoreh, where the independent said he did not think Moon was getting complete reports.


"I think [the issues Ahn is raising] are something you can expect to happen in a competition," Moon added. "He seems to be reacting too sensitively."


Moon went on to say he was "grateful" for the advice about DUP reforms, but also thought there was element of risk to it. "To some extent, they should leave it to us," he added.


In particular, Moon went after Ahn for backing out of the talks, saying that "nothing happened to warrant a breakdown."


Previously, Moon's election committee chiefs said they would bow out over the breakdown of the talks. Moon refused the resignations, saying, "This is not worth doing that over."


Woo Sang-ho, head of Moon's press team, said the camp convened a meeting of election committee heads and told them escaping the stalemate would require arranging another meeting between the candidates as quickly as possible.


"It was agreed that only a meeting between the candidates could resolve the issue," Woo said.

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