Ex-Roh supporter calls on president to stop FTA
Korea Times | 08-07-2006
Ex-Roh Supporter Calls on President to Stop FTA
By Kim Yon-se
Staff Reporter
Well-known social commentator and oriental philosopher Kim Young-oak, better known by his penname Doh-ol, said that President Roh Moo-hyun should stop pushing for the establishment of a free trade agreement (FTA) with the United States, citing the lack of public support.
“I don’t understand why we have to seek the FTA while there is nothing we will gain from it,” said Kim, once a staunch ally of Roh, who nowadays is very critical of the head of state. He expressed his opposition to the FTA during a snap interview with The Korea Times during his trip to Mt. Kumgang in North Korea over the weekend as chief eulogist of the late Hyundai Group chairman Chung Mong-hun.
Citing civic organizations’ anti-FTA movements, he said it is time for the public to show its power by expanding the protest.
``A series of protests, including one by the union of journalists, would be a great help in obstructing the FTA talks,’’ Kim added.
Kim, a professor who specializes in Confucianism and Oriental medical science, had been a strong supporter of the Roh Moo-hyun administration for his inter-Korean cooperation agenda and activist backgrounds.
Kim led a public opposition campaign against conservative lawmakers’ attempt to impeach President Roh in 2004.
President Roh has put the Korea-U.S. FTA as a primary agenda item of his remaining tenure of about one and a half years. The two countries held two rounds of talks in June and July and will go into the third stage in September.
kys@koreatimes.co.kr
