"Abanggung Still Unforgivable" Moon's Residence Controversy... 'Pro-Moon' Reminisce of Roh Moo-hyun [Han Seung-gon's Political Notebook]

Mun "Can't you tell by looking at former President Roh Moo-hyun's Bongha residence?"
Yoo Si-min "The term 'Abang Palace'... I still can't forgive it"
"The budget for Bonghwasan forest maintenance... calling it 'Abang Palace' is truly a mean accusation"

On September 30, 2012, Moon Jae-in, then the Democratic United Party (now the Democratic Party of Korea) presidential candidate, is paying tribute at the grave of the late former President Roh Moo-hyun located in Bongha Village, Gimhae. Photo by Moon Jae-in's election campaign at the time

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Seung-gon] "I can forgive other remarks about former President Roh. They were attacks made in political competition. But the term 'Abang Palace' is something I still cannot forgive." (Yoo Si-min, Chairman of the Roh Moo-hyun Foundation)

On May 10, 2019, Yoo Si-min expressed his unfiltered anger toward conservative media during a special edition produced at former President Roh's residence in Bongha Village, Gyeongsangnam-do, commemorating the 10th anniversary of Roh Moo-hyun's passing on the Roh Moo-hyun Foundation's YouTube channel 'Alileo'.

This is similar to the context of President Moon Jae-in's remarks on the 12th regarding the suspicions about the Yangsan residence in Gyeongnam, calling it "petty and embarrassing." President Moon further stated, "Can't you tell by looking at former President Roh Moo-hyun's Bongha residence?" revealing the unfair treatment Roh faced from conservative media and political circles.

Among groups like 'People Who Love Roh Moo-hyun' (Nosamo) and the pro-Moon faction (Chinmun), the term 'Roh Moo-hyun Abang Palace' is widely regarded as a 'deceptive and misleading' (惑世誣民, meaning to confuse the world and deceive the people) evaluation and interpreted as a low-level political attack.

The passage where former President Roh appealed to the media on April 21, 2009, saying, "Please return the courtyard of my house. It is the minimum human right left to me," is still known to evoke both guilt and great anger among pro-Moon supporters for not being able to protect him.

Chairman Yoo also revealed the anger he felt at the time during the May 10, 2019 Alileo broadcast. Targeting the figures from the then Grand National Party (now People Power Party) who spread the so-called 'Abang Palace frame,' Yoo criticized, "Those people even came to pay respects here (at Bongha) but not a single one apologized. They called the retired president's house 'Abang Palace' and flooded all conservative media with it..."

He added, "They lumped together the budget for forest maintenance at Bonghwa Mountain and the restoration budget for Hwapo Stream ecological river and slapped a price tag on it, calling it an 'Abang Palace.' It was truly a despicable act," he pointed out.

Yoo Si-min, chairman of the Roh Moo-hyun Foundation, is saying, "I still cannot forgive it," regarding the past attack by the then Grand National Party (now People Power Party) calling the late President Roh Moo-hyun's residence in Bongha Village an "Abang Palace" on May 10, 2019. Photo by Yoo Si-min's Alileo capture

Within the pro-Moon camp, there are criticisms that the Abang Palace controversy was an incomprehensible political attack. Kim, a man in his 40s who was active in Nosamo, said, "Legitimate criticism in politics is always welcome and can lead to development, but the Abang Palace attack was deliberately fabricated fake news. Is that politics? Is that a political attack? It was a vile act aimed at tarnishing a former president and achieving political goals," raising his voice.

There were also calls regarding the phenomenon where controversies like the Abang Palace issue lead to political disgust and complete disengagement from politics. Lee, a woman in her 30s who supports the Democratic Party, said, "(Abang Palace) is a false story, so people neither trust politics nor do they want to get involved. In the past, there was no space like Twitter or Facebook for politicians to directly clarify their positions, but now there is. I hope people take more interest in politics and listen to both sides through SNS, and not distance themselves from politics," she urged.

The strong criticism of the Abang Palace frame by the pro-Moon faction is also related to the suffering former President Roh endured. At the time, Roh repeatedly appealed to the media covering his house regarding the Abang Palace frame.

He said, "My house is a prison. I cannot step outside even one step. No one can come in either because cameras and reporters are guarding it." He added, "I am not in a position to complain about the situation because it stems from my own fault, but I want to enjoy the freedom to open windows and walk in the yard."

He also said, "There was an incident where my image inside the room was shown, so I live with the curtains drawn. I want to look at distant mountains, but since cameras guard the Lion Rock I want to see, I cannot even look at that mountain peak." He continued, "This causes too much pain to a person. Is it really in the public's right to know to see me talking with secretaries inside the room, looking at trees in the courtyard, or pacing in the yard?" he questioned.

On June 15, 2018, President Moon Jae-in with former President Roh Moo-hyun (right) in Bongha Village after his retirement. Behind on the left is Kim Kyung-soo, Governor of Gyeongnam Province.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

This Abang Palace frame first appeared in conservative media. Around September 2007, conservative media reported that △ former President Roh's older brother, Roh Gun-pyung, and his wife purchased six plots next to the residence, △ Kang A-mu-gae, an alumnus of Busan Commercial High School, bought three plots at Roh's birthplace, △ a close associate of Park Yeon-cha, chairman of Taekwang Industrial, bought two plots on the hillside behind the residence, and △ the Presidential Security Service purchased three plots, making a total of 14 plots around the residence owned by Roh's associates.

Also, Hong Jun-pyo, then floor leader of the Grand National Party (now People Power Party) and an independent lawmaker, criticized the Bongha residence in 2008, saying, "No one else lives in an Abang Palace like former President Roh," and accused him of wasting taxpayers' money to create a well-being forest in Bongha.

The Blue House immediately rebutted these claims. The owner of the nearly 7,000-pyeong forest behind the residence was said to have no connection with the president and had purchased it as an investment before the announcement of Roh's return. The birthplace plots were bought by Kang A-mu-gae, a high school classmate of the president, with the intention of restoring the birthplace. The Presidential Security Service's land was purchased legally for the construction of a new security mobile unit, and the owners acquired the land for different reasons and purposes. The Blue House actively refuted the related controversy, and later, Hong apologized for the use of the term 'Abang Palace' and the related controversy.

Meanwhile, President Moon's unusual rebuttal is seen by some in political circles as a response to the suffering former President Roh endured trapped in the Abang Palace frame. A political insider said, "President Moon himself mentioned former President Roh's Bongha residence, which suggests he thinks this political attack is 'vile.' Especially, it seems to be a rebuttal not only to attacks against himself but also to the humiliations Roh suffered in the past," interpreting the remarks.

Earlier, when the People Power Party raised suspicions that the land of the Yangsan residence in Gyeongnam had been altered to gain profits, President Moon responded on Facebook on the 12th, saying, "I understand it is election season, but please stop at that. It is petty and embarrassing. The president buys land and builds on it with public funds, but since it is combined with security facilities, the president only lives there and cannot dispose of the land. Can't you tell by looking at former President Roh Moo-hyun's Bongha residence? All procedures are being carried out according to the law," he rebutted.