Roh Moo-hyun: Impeachment, Politics, and Regional Sentiments

President Roh Moo-hyun's political journey exemplifies the complexities of regional loyalty and public sentiment in South Korea.

### The Legacy and Impeachment of President Roh Moo-hyun: A Historical Perspective
* 📜 The discussion revolves around the tumultuous period of President Roh Moo-hyun's political career, marked by his eventual **impeachment**, which stemmed from a controversial statement he made about **presidential accountability**.
* 📊 Roh Moo-hyun's impeachment was a significant event, with **over 200 seats in the National Assembly** held by the opposition party, allowing them to **push for his removal from office**.
* 📅 On the one-year anniversary of his presidency, Roh Moo-hyun stated that "**the president could also be removed**," which triggered the impeachment process, showcasing the **volatility of political sentiments** at the time.
* 💔 The sentiment against him was particularly strong in Busan, where he was perceived as a **traitor** for not aligning with Kim Young-sam's **regional loyalty theory**, which caused a **rift between him and his constituents**.
* 💰 Amidst the chaos, donations began to pour into Roh Moo-hyun's account, signaling a **shift in public sentiment** that had formed nationwide, despite initial resistance in Busan.
* 📺 The narrative of Roh Moo-hyun's rise and fall is further illustrated through a documentary that captured the public's perception of him, transforming from a **"rural lawyer"** to a **"handsome lawyer"** as he gained political prominence.
* 🔍 The discussions also highlight the **stark contrast** between Roh Moo-hyun's impeachment and the current political climate, questioning why **similar actions are not being taken against current leaders** for perceived misconduct.
* 📖 Ultimately, the legacy of Roh Moo-hyun is complex, characterized by both his **contributions to Korean politics** and the **dramatic circumstances surrounding his impeachment**, which continue to **resonate in contemporary discussions**.

We need to properly learn Korean history. When I was in school, I really didn't learn anything at all. Now, let's get started with history. Independence Army member Baek Yi-seong will talk about Korean history. Oh, I failed! I forgot! I forgot! I'm the only one talking about Korean history, and I forgot what I named it. Now, let's welcome history independence activist Baek Ki-seong. Hello! Yes, nice to meet you. Today, we will dive right into the prepared content. Last week, I announced that we would discuss President Roh Moo-hyun. Roh Moo-hyun was originally a lawyer, but I understand he entered politics due to YS. Other than that, I don't know much. Oh, you don't know much? Not really. Even if I know, I pretend not to know. Oh, I don't know! I pretend not to know, too. Yes, I think so. Well, I don't know, either.

I will pretend to know. Please tell me well. Let's take a look back at Roh Moo-hyun. Yes, President Roh Moo-hyun first ran for office in my district. When was that? In 1988. In 1988, I was in the first year of middle school. Yes, he ran in the Busan Dong-gu district, where I lived. At that time, who else was famous in Busan Dong-gu besides President Roh Moo-hyun? Oh, well, at that time in Busan Dong-gu, there was Heo Sam-soo, who was the main figure of the 122. Heo Sam-soo could be considered the mascot of Busan Dong-gu. Regarding President Roh Moo-hyun's candidacy, this photo was taken at Samnak Park in the Suyeong District of Busan, with the background of the mountains. The mountains are like this; the photo was taken with this mountain in the background. Yes, so...

At that time, President Roh Moo-hyun was truly a country bumpkin, coming from the Unification Democratic Party. He came from the Unification Democratic Party of President Kim Young-sam. So, what party was it in 1988? It was the Peace Democratic Party. Yes, that's right. The Peace Democratic Party was strong in the Honam region, while the Unification Democratic Party was strong in the Yeongnam region. The Unification Democratic Party was also strong in Busan, Ulsan, and Gyeongnam. Yes, that's correct. Looking back now, it's quite interesting. It really is interesting to look back at it now. However, historically, this election became a typical representation of regional sentiment. In 1988, candidate Heo Sam-soo began to take a commanding lead by serving as the president of the alumni associations of Busan Middle School, Busan Central Elementary School, and Busan High School, which are landmarks in Dong-gu, Busan. He started to pull ahead overwhelmingly.

At the beginning, President Kim Young-sam came and raised President Roh Moo-hyun's hand, declaring, I will share all the major and minor affairs of the country with candidate Roh Moo-hyun. At that moment, everything completely turned around. Oh, yes. So, at Jeongsan Park, it completely turns around. Oh, I apologize; it’s not Samrak Park. I almost made a mistake. Samrak Park is a different park in Samrak-dong, but Jeongsan Park completely turns around. This is when Roh Moo-hyun transforms from a rural lawyer to a handsome lawyer. Yes, yes. The perception of people completely changes from a rural lawyer to a handsome lawyer. I hope it doesn’t go that way. No, really. That’s my grandmother’s opinion. My grandmother held my hand when I was in middle school.

When I was in first grade, I was holding my grandmother's hand and we were going to the market when President Roh Moo-hyun walked up from below. At that time, he was a candidate, and as he approached, he said, Oh, it's Roh Moo-hyun, I will do it! My grandmother's friend was next to us and said, This time, it has to be Heo Soo. Heo Soo was from the United Democratic Party, and there was also the Democratic Justice Party, which was associated with the former government. So, when she said, This time, it has to be the Democratic Party, President Roh Moo-hyun replied, Oh, I can do it too, and he tried to change the subject to my grandmother. My grandmother was smiling, and as she held his hand, President Roh Moo-hyun said to her, Oh, is this your youngest? Your mother must be so happy to be with her youngest.

Yes, and my grandmother said she had no feelings about it. My grandmother passed away in 1998, and she was a supporter of Roh Moo-hyun. It's a personal history. No, it's just Roh Moo-hyun. There's no need for any other rational judgment; it's simply Roh Moo-hyun. So when people asked my grandmother why she liked Roh Moo-hyun, she spoke about it, and people couldn't relate at all. They would say, Oh, is he your youngest son? But my grandmother had no feelings about it. So in 1988, he was elected, and it was a public hearing. Yes, he defeated Lee Hoi-chang thanks to Kim Young-sam, and he succeeded in that. During the first National Assembly hearing, he was very active, wasn't he? He became a star of the hearings. The public hearing took place in 1989, right after he was elected, and it was in 1990.

During the Gwangju hearings, the first foundation hearings took place. At that time, President Roh Moo-hyun raised the issue of how the international group was ruined. The question was how the international group was brought down and whether the chaebols were involved. The key point was whether Chun Doo-hwan's administration played a role in this downfall. This became the biggest issue. They called in Chairman Yang Jeong-mo, and there were many impressive moments during the proceedings. In fact, many decisive moments emerged, such as when President Roh Moo-hyun almost threw the nameplate but instead placed it down, causing it to roll off the table. There were also instances where President Chun stood up and shouted during the hearings.

During that time, scenes like this did not look good to the people of Busan. They would say things like, Oh, this shows that they are uneducated. They kept mentioning that it was because of their lack of education. In 1992, during the merger of the three parties led by YS, they decided not to follow YS. In 1990, they chose to remain with the Democratic Party. People like Roh Moo-hyun and Lee Gi-taek did not follow YS, and as a result, the people of Busan started to feel that they had risen because of YS. They felt betrayed, framing it as betrayal. From Roh Moo-hyun's perspective, partnering with YS was something he could not accept, so he did not go along with it. In Busan, this led to a betrayal frame.

You got caught in the frame of a traitor. Now, please show a video. This is how President Roh Moo-hyun is not simply framed as a traitor. The video has no sound, but you can see Kim appearing. It's almost a complete unification, and there's a scene where he is being dragged out. They are holding a meeting for the three-party merger, but without any debate, they just convey the agenda unilaterally and wrap it up. That's what happened. Watching that scene was truly moving, and I felt that he was indeed a politician. However, going back to that time, there weren't many supporters who viewed it that way. Such scenes left a deep impression on us. Immediately after President Roh Moo-hyun was elected, he was seen as a hero.

It becomes mythologized, and it turns into This is Roh Moo-hyun. After President Roh Moo-hyun was defeated, please show a photo. But at that time, I couldn't go out because my limbs were paralyzed. I didn't go out because my limbs were paralyzed. This time, it didn't happen like with Congressman Kang Sung-hee. Back then, there was nothing like this, but now it's even worse. After President Roh Moo-hyun lost, the pride of Busan was also Roh Moo-hyun, so what does it mean that he lost? You can take your time. Yes, take your time, teacher. In 1992, a rematch took place, and in that rematch in Busan Dong-gu, former President Roh Moo-hyun lost. Oh, the little Democratic Party. Yes, he ran for the Democratic Party and lost. So, what did the people of Busan think at that time about Roh Moo-hyun?

I thought about it like this. Now that I think about it, I feel very regretful. I also agreed to that. I was in my second year of high school. So, well, at that time, our teacher thought, You really got tricked, didn't you? This is a very important sentiment. Ah, the betrayal of Kim Young-sam, like, If YS hadn't done this, where would you be? At that time, people in Busan had no idea about the Burim incident. They had no idea at all. That's why such sentiments were possible. So, was it 1992 at that time? I lost in 1992, and it was very impactful. Yes, but in 1995, I ran for mayor of Busan again. Oh, I challenged the Busan mayoral election in 1995. Yes, I challenged it, but at that time, DJ and regional politics were emerging. What was it called? The regional theory, what do you call it? Gyeongnam.

It was the same lump, but when you look at the numbers, it's the same lump. There was a theory called the DJ theory, which suggested that we should look at this by dividing it into three regions. Because of that regional division, the DJ wind blew in Yeongnam, leading to the final defeat of the Busan mayor. At that time, the Busan mayor was Moon Jung-soo, who was a close associate of YS. The New Korea Party framed him as a traitor to YS, which made it difficult for Roh Moo-hyun to withstand the pressure. Naturally, he couldn't help but lose. After that, President Kim Dae-jung was re-elected, and upon his election, he became the Minister of Oceans and Fisheries. As the Minister of Oceans and Fisheries, he also became a member of the National Assembly from Jongno, leading people to wonder if Roh Moo-hyun would rise again.

He became a member of the National Assembly in Jongno-gu. Take your time, teacher, you can go slowly. Yes, yes. There was a by-election for President Lee Myung-bak. Lee Myung-bak was a member of the National Assembly in Jongno-gu but was expelled due to violations of the Political Fund Act, which led to the by-election. He was elected there. He was elected in Seoul's Jongno, but he abandoned the guaranteed seat in Jongno and decided to run in the Busan Gangseo-gu electoral district instead. He ran in the North Gangseo Gap election. This is when he began to be seen as foolish Roh Moo-hyun. Yes, why does Roh Moo-hyun keep running in Busan? That’s what makes him foolish. So, to the people of Seoul, it looks like there’s this foolish person. It’s completely foolish. He has now stepped into central politics, and he was elected in Jongno, so he could run there this time. It seemed foolish. After losing in Busan, he...

Shortly after, there was a documentary made about the phenomenon of Babo Roh Moo-hyun and Noh Sa-mo by Busan MBC. In that documentary, Mrs. Kwon Yang-sook was doing the dishes when she suddenly turned around and said, I wanted to run again in Jongno this time, but I didn't want to. She mentioned that she didn't want to run from Busan. Hearing her say that shows how much she understands her husband. It's incredible, isn't it? It reveals how deeply she knows him. Honestly, isn't that a common sense observation? It makes sense, right? 

If President Roh Moo-hyun had gone through with the regional loyalty theory of YS, he would probably still be a member of the National Assembly and living well. And if he had run again in Jongno, he might still be in a certain position now.

As a seasoned member of the National Assembly, I will be active in my role. However, the thing is, because I made the decision to abandon Jongno and go to Busan, a nationwide boom occurred. People across the country started to recognize me, asking, Did that person get elected? At that time, the Gongteo video became very famous. Minister Yoo Si-min later stated that the Gongteo video is a must-watch to understand Roh Moo-hyun. During that time, I was up against the candidate from the New Korea Party, Huh Tae-yeol, who also played on regional sentiments. He would ask, Is there anyone here who is well off? Can anyone raise their hand? And when someone did, he would say, Ah, it seems like everyone is from Jeolla Province, or something like, I guess you have a father from Jeolla Province.

He spoke in a way that made many people say, Hey, are you out of your mind? After that, regional sentiment started to flare up significantly. In the end, President Roh Moo-hyun set up his campaign vehicle in an open space and began to speak there. What was he supposed to say? He forgot what he wanted to say. As he tried to speak alone, the words just wouldn't come out. There were a few people passing by and listening in the parking lot, and some local shop owners were sweeping the area. As he spoke, they started to drift away. At that time, his aides, including Lee Kwang-jae, who was the aide at that time, were present. Lee Kwang-jae, who was trying to run in Jongno, Seoul, but couldn't, and Ahn Hee-jung, among others, were smoking cigarettes.

As they were drinking, they were hitting the ground and doing this. Oh dear, there were scenes of people like Secretary Baek Won-woo throwing documents around, and the words of the Democratic Party delegates in Busan saying not to give up are featured in that documentary. I said, Stop with that foolishness, but suddenly, donations started pouring in, you know, into President Roh Moo-hyun's account. At that time, the sentiment among the entire nation had already formed. It was a nationwide sentiment, but it just wasn't happening in Busan. Then, donations started flooding in from all over the country. At first, for about two or three days, it didn't really hit home, but later, as the donations came pouring in, it became, What is this? So, President Roh Moo-hyun was now...

Eventually, he is elected as president, and after being elected, the members of the New Millennium Democratic Party and President Roh Moo-hyun work to overcome regional sentiments, which do not align. So, they break away, but there is a tremendous backlash. This is when the impeachment crisis of President Roh Moo-hyun occurs. Only about 30 people leave, and at that time, the opposition party, which was the Grand National Party, had a majority with over 200 seats in the National Assembly. They said that for the impeachment of the president to happen, there needed to be over 200 seats in the National Assembly, and it was indeed achieved. Now, please show the footage of the president's controversial remarks that led to the impeachment. It is known as the statement that triggered the impeachment. It’s not very clear, but during the one-year anniversary of his inauguration, he mentioned that the president could also be removed.

There were repeated threats, so the president's seats were insufficient. To improve the situation regarding the seats, I expressed that I would like to help in any legal way possible. This statement was interpreted as direct interference in the election. At that time, it was discussed by then-Democratic Party leader Cho Sun-hyung and then-Hannara Party leader Choi Byeong-yeol. When they demanded an apology, he did not apologize. Therefore, there was a legal interpretation regarding that matter. Please raise the red part. As you can see, the interpretation states that the president's following remarks should not be a significant issue. So, when the two opposition parties demanded an apology, President Roh Moo-hyun stated that he could not apologize. I clearly remember what President Roh Moo-hyun did at that time in the public statement.

I think if I did something wrong, I should apologize. However, I cannot just apologize quietly as my aides suggest, saying it's too noisy. People said, Oh, it's all about Roh Moo-hyun, and then they went ahead and impeached him. That's why you saw people from the Open Uri Party being dragged out, like Im Jong-seok, and there was a lot of chaos. When Park Kwan-yong was banging the gavel, papers were flying everywhere. Now, because President Roh Moo-hyun made one statement, he faced impeachment, and it even reached the level of exporting impeachment. Last night, President Yoon Seok-youl called for Han Dong-hoon to step down; is this some kind of interference in party affairs? It's completely incomparable. But why isn't there any impeachment action being taken?

I really don't understand. President Roh Moo-hyun was impeached for saying that, but Yoon Seok-yeol is intervening in party affairs and nominations to that extent. I just can't figure out why he isn't being impeached. So let's reset the clock. Today, I think Choi Woong might be a bit confused, so let's turn the clock back to a year ago. When was that? A year ago, regarding the impeachment. Oh, a year before the impeachment. Yes, it was about the investigation into President Roh Moo-hyun's election funds, which was called the Chadagi Investigation. At that time, the drama Dae Jang Geum was a huge hit. Why was that? It was because the investigation into President Roh Moo-hyun's election funds coincided with the political reality. During that time, scenes of Choi Sang-gung gathering salt to fund political activities seemed just like watching the Chadagi Investigation. In terms of election funds, it was a reflection of reality.

The reason why the drama Dae Jang Geum became a big hit is that politics today is not much different from politics in the past. In that scene, the Special Investigation Unit of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office was conducting a large investigation into the presidential election funds. There was a line back then. For instance, former President Roh Moo-hyun stated that if he received even one-tenth of the presidential election funds, he would step down from the presidency. When he said this, the Grand National Party argued that it was more than one-tenth, claiming it was one-eighteenth, and they demanded his resignation. Does this make sense? Do you know who was in the special investigation team at that time? I'm not sure about that. First of all, the head of the Special Investigation Unit was Ahn Dae-hee, the famous prosecutor known as Ahn Dae-hee the steel prosecutor, who was quite well-known at that time. Ahn Dae-hee, and then...

In the presidential election, there was a person named Moon Hyo-nam involved in the investigation planning of the Special Investigation Unit for election funds. Below him, there was a prosecutor who was about three ranks lower; I don’t quite remember who that was. Oh, there was also Prosecutor Yoon Seong. Then, there was a prosecutor named Ahn Seong-wook, who served as the vice-chairman of the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission, and right below him, at the very bottom of the Special Investigation Unit, was Prosecutor Han Dong-hoon. Yes, Prosecutor Han Dong-hoon. So, from this time onward, Yoon Seong, Ahn, and Han Dong-hoon were in charge of significant investigations. At that time, they were examining the presidential election funds, revealing that President Roh Moo-hyun received about 18 minutes more than candidate Lee Hoi-chang. President Roh Moo-hyun stated that if he received even 10 minutes, he would resign from his qualification as president-elect, but the power of the people...

The Grand National Party said that if I just give them ten minutes, I would resign. Why aren't they doing it? This kind of absurd statement became quite famous. This incident led to President Roh Moo-hyun's departure from the party, the founding of a new party, the impeachment, the return to the presidential system, and then the joining of the senior party members. This process was truly dramatic. No matter how much these people talk about their resignations or the founding of new parties, they cannot replicate the sincerity that President Roh Moo-hyun displayed at that time. Additionally, during this period, the reporter Baek Eun-jong from Seoul's Voice actually attached fireworks to himself, which created a dramatic situation that can never be replicated. After the impeachment, the Open Uri Party became quite significant, and the joining ceremony for senior party members took place.

Please show me how to do it. At that time, I was signing the membership application as a senior member of the Open Uri Party. On May 20th, no, on April 15th, what year was it? It was in 2004. At that time, I obtained a majority of the votes. On May 20th, I invited all the elected members and party leadership of the Open Uri Party, and we sang The March for the Beloved while I was signing the membership application. The concept of being a senior member did not exist at that time. Now, with the New Politics Alliance for Democracy and the Millennium Democratic Party, Kim Dae-jung continued to be the chairman, and now he has become a senior member, so I understand. Now, the term 'chairman' can no longer be used. Yes, I understand. Today, many familiar names have come up, so I would appreciate it if you could refrain from leaving overly harsh comments due to concerns about the yellow color. What is it?

I can't quite understand what you're saying, but I understand. I thought it might be good to have a guide in the middle, but those people want to hear what the teacher has to say, so I said no. Yes, that's how it turned out. Now, we've organized a very brief discussion about President Roh Moo-hyun. Look, they're making a fuss about not interrupting. It's not that I wanted to stop speaking. Ah, well then, I will wrap this up here. Thank you very much. Thank you.

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[팟빵] 매불쇼

Roh Moo-hyun, coming from the Unification Democratic Party, had his roots in the Peace Democratic Party, which was strong in the Honam region.

The 1988 election showcased a typical regional sentiment, with candidate Heo Sam-soo gaining a commanding lead from Busan.

Roh Moo-hyun later became a significant figure in the Open Uri Party, and his tenure was marked by key investigations into presidential election funds, revealing his narrow lead over candidate Lee Hoi-chang.

Roh Moo-hyun and Lee Gi-taek's decision to not follow YS during the 1992 merger led to a sense of betrayal among the people of Busan, who felt they had risen because of YS.

The documentary by Busan MBC highlighted the struggles of Roh Moo-hyun and his wife, revealing her deep understanding of his ambitions.

Roh Moo-hyun's eventual election as president and his efforts to overcome regional sentiments led to a backlash and his impeachment crisis, which was triggered by his controversial remarks during his inauguration anniversary.

Roh Moo-hyun's political career was marked by regional divisions and the DJ theory, leading to his defeat in Busan and framing as a traitor.

After Kim Dae-jung's re-election, Roh's rise to the Minister of Oceans and Fisheries sparked speculation about his comeback.

Despite losing a rematch in Busan and facing scrutiny over presidential election funds, Roh's election as president later cast him as a hero in the eyes of many.

The Dramatic Journey of President Roh Moo-hyun

President Roh Moo-hyun's campaign began with a struggling speech in an open space, leading to a significant regional sentiment flare-up.

His absurd statement about resigning for ten minutes became famous, ultimately resulting in his departure from the party and the founding of a new one.

The dramatic events, including his return to the presidential system and the impactful Busan mayoral election, garnered nationwide recognition and highlighted the emergence of regional politics.

The Impeachment of Roh Moo-hyun and His Political Journey

President Roh Moo-hyun was impeached for his actions, while Yoon Seok-yeol's intervention in party affairs goes unpunished.

The Chadagi Investigation into Roh's election funds coincided with his political rise, reflecting the reality of the time.

Roh's candidacy in Busan and his subsequent elections in Jongno illustrate his tumultuous political journey, marked by perceived foolishness and determination.

The Impeachment and Impact of President Roh Moo-hyun

President Roh Moo-hyun faced impeachment after making a controversial statement, leading to chaos and protests from his party members.

The nationwide sentiment against his impeachment grew, resulting in a flood of donations to his account.

Roh's political fortunes turned around when President Kim Young-sam publicly endorsed him, changing his perception from a rural lawyer to a prominent political figure.