Roh backed off from TV debate on FTA
Korea Times
Roh Backed Off From TV Debate on FTA
By Kim Yon-se, Staff Reporter
1 October 2006
President Roh Moo-hyun, a self-proclaimed master at debating, tried to go on television in August in order to directly appeal to the nation in favor of an early free trade agreement (FTA) with the United States but decided to drop the idea at the strong suggestion of his aides.
The Korea Times learned this through multiple sources, including one who was scheduled to appear in the same program as a panelist opposing the Korea-U.S. FTA. The bilateral negotiations are now going through a rocky patch, stirring up nationwide opposition.
According to these sources, Chong Wa Dae officials notified MBC that President Roh wanted to argue against the anti-Korea-U.S. FTA activists on the 100-Minute Debate of the broadcasting company as an FTA advocate.
They said that Chong Wa Dae first delayed, then withdrew its proposal for an open debate, after it was informed that the anti-FTA panel would include Jung Tae-in, Roh’s former presidential secretary for economic affairs.
Jung is one of the several staffers who resigned from the Roh Moo-hyun administration last year and has since emerged as a leading voice among anti-FTA activists.
The debaters for the anti-FTA side were supposed to include Jung and Lee Hae-young, a professor of Hanshin University and chief of the Korean Alliance against a Korea-U.S. FTA.
A source close to the 100-Minute Debate’s liaison office said, It seems that current Chong Wa Dae secretaries dissuaded Roh from his resolution after being told about the scheduled cons debaters.''
It might be a burden for Roh to have a fight against his former economic-policy secretary and a professor acquainted with details of the FTA agenda in front of a millions plus TV audience on a live program, he added.Even if some pro-FTA policymakers or professors back up Roh sitting beside him as other panel members, it will be difficult for Roh to ask them details in front of the public,’’ he said.
While MBC failed to receive confirmation on the president’s appearance after notifying Chong Wa Dae of cons side, the broadcasting company asked the presidential office to arrange a face-to-face talk with 100-Minute Debate host and mediator Sohn Suk-hee.
``It was a shock to me. I could not imagine President Roh, by himself, wanting to appear on TV as part of a panel,’’ one of the two anti-FTA side debaters said.
When contacted, Sun Mi-ra and Yoo Min-young, two Chong Wa Dae communication officials said they hadn’t heard about Roh’s proposal to MBC.
According to other sources, former Finance and Economy Minister Han Duck-soo reversed his willingness to appear on an FTA-related argument program hosted by the SBS Debate as a Korea-U.S. FTA advocate last Friday night after being informed that Jung Tae-in would appear.
Han has been appointed to the head of a pro-FTA related organization, comprised of former ministers and aimed at supporting the FTA talks.
