Jung Se-kyun: "'Sa-jeuk-saeng' Spirit of the 'Fool Roh Moo-hyun'... Hope His Unfinished Dreams Are Fulfilled"

[Gimhae=Asia Economy Reporter Park Jun-yi] Jeong Se-gyun, chairman of the Roh Moo-hyun Foundation, said at the 13th anniversary memorial service for former President Roh Moo-hyun on the 23rd, "The reason we still miss former President Roh, who was born from citizen power, is probably because of the dream he ultimately could not achieve," adding, "Let us take one more step toward the 'completion of democracy' that former President Roh so deeply wished for."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

At the memorial service held in Bongha Village, Gimhae, Gyeongnam, Chairman Jeong said, "Former President Roh's dream remains a valid task for us."

Chairman Jeong recalled, "Former President Roh always lived with the attitude of 'sa-jeuk-saeng' (death before dishonor). He led the realization of democracy and human rights values by transforming from a successful lawyer to a human rights lawyer helping the powerless. He abandoned the safe district of Jongno-gu, where his election was almost certain, and went down to the difficult region of Busan, throwing everything away to break the ruinous regionalism."

He added, "He was a person who always believed in the greatness of history and citizens and entrusted his fate to them, constantly giving up what he had, confronting the outdated legacies of the old era, and overcoming his own limits."

Chairman Jeong said, "We gave him the nickname 'Fool Roh' (Babo Roh)," emphasizing, "I believe the true beginning of mourning for him is the awakening of the dream that former President Roh could not achieve."

He continued, "I sincerely hope that his unfulfilled dream will be completed through the power of the citizens present here."

He said, "The Awake Citizen Culture Experience Exhibition Hall built on the fields of Bongha will become a space to learn and nurture Roh Moo-hyun's citizen democracy based in the region," and expressed expectations that "the Roh Moo-hyun Citizen Center, opening in Seoul at the end of September, will also establish itself as a new platform for democracy."

Chairman Jeong raised his voice, saying, "Please join forces to create a just country based on principles and common sense, rejecting privilege and unfairness, and to build a world where citizens are free."