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| President Moon Jae-in speaks during a meeting with his senior aides at Cheong Wa Dae, Monday. Yonhap |
By Do Je-hae
President Moon Jae-in is brushing aside mounting concerns over "severe divisions" in society in the wake of his appointment last month of Cho Kuk, his former senior secretary for civil affairs, to justice minister.
The President defined the show of diverging views on Cho-related issues through rallies as an "act of democracy." The rather positive assessment of the rallies is seen as part of Cheong Wa Dae's efforts to distance itself from criticism that the social division, which in part stems from the appointment of Cho, is reminiscent of a similarly extreme division in public sentiment over the impeachment of his predecessor Park Geun-hye.
"I have taken to heart the people's diverse voices," Moon said during a meeting with his senior aides at Cheong Wa Dae, Monday, according to press pool reports. "It is not out of the ordinary for people's opinions to be divided on certain political issues. In particular, I believe that the people's expression of their opinions has positive aspects as an act of direct democracy on the basis that it can complement representative politics when it does not fully reflect the will of the people. From that perspective, I would like to thank the people for taking the time to raise their voices."
But President Moon showed concern that the rallies in different parts of Seoul among Cho supporters and anti-Cho protesters were taking a toll on society. "However, it is not desirable to get into an extreme confrontation, going beyond the difference in political opinion and an active debate and all politics being engulfed by the confrontation," he added.
The remarks came amid rising criticism that he has backtracked on his key pledge for "national unity" after taking office in May 2017 following Park's ouster. Moon urged the people to gather their "wisdom" to address the current uncertainties "according to due procedures" and asked the National Assembly to perform its duties rather than focusing on the political strife.
During the meeting, Moon once again reiterated his push for judicial reform. "The Ministry of Justice and the prosecution have their respective roles, but they should act as one team in pursuing prosecution reform," he said.
It was the first time for Moon to publicly mention his views on the current impasse since he gave a message on Sept. 30 ordering Prosecutor-General Yoon Seok-youl to prepare measures for reform of the prosecution.
Some radical anti-government protesters have been rallying on roads adjacent to Cheong Wa Dae to express their frustration with the Moon administration and the Cho scandal. But the presidential office has been cautious about responding to the show of growing public discontent following the prosecution's widening investigation into Cho and his family members over allegations of corruption and other illegalities.
Cheong Wa Dae's response to the Cho scandal has been cited as one of the key reasons for falling public support for the President.
