"Praying for the Protection of Our Nation's Patriots"
Kim Moonsoo, former presidential candidate of the People Power Party, visited the National Seoul Memorial Cemetery in Dongjak-gu, Seoul, on June 6, Memorial Day. Following a series of critical messages directed at his party immediately after the presidential election, his continued public appearances, including this visit, are being interpreted as a sign that he may be considering a bid for party leadership.
On the morning of June 6, Kim, accompanied by Emergency Response Committee Chairman Kim Yongtae and members of his presidential campaign team, paid tribute at the Memorial Tower, offering flowers and incense.
Kim Moonsoo, former presidential candidate of the People Power Party, is seen paying silent tribute at the National Seoul Memorial Cemetery in Dongjak-gu, Seoul, on the 6th. Photo by Yonhap News
Speaking to reporters, Kim said, "I deeply thank all the patriotic souls who sacrificed for the great present of the Republic of Korea. It is because of their spirit of sacrifice that Korea has been able to achieve such development."
He continued, "Once again, I pray that the patriotic spirits will watch over Korea so that our country, now facing another crisis, can achieve even greater progress, our people's peace and safety will be protected, and our citizens will become even happier."
Kim's team notified the media of his visit to the cemetery in advance, indicating a deliberate intention to make the event public.
Since the day after the presidential election, Kim has attended a series of events such as the disbanding ceremonies for the election committee and his campaign team, where he issued repeated criticisms of his party. With the addition of his visit to the National Cemetery, political circles are analyzing these moves as groundwork for a potential run for party leadership.
However, Kim dismissed speculation about his leadership ambitions the previous day, saying, "I have no desire for the position of party leader," and added, "Whoever takes on the role should do it properly."
It was reported that Kim Yongtae, Chairman of the Emergency Response Committee, attended the Memorial Day ceremony at the cemetery in his capacity as party leader, and upon hearing of Kim Moonsoo's visit, joined him there.
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