| Roh's handwritten phrase was sold at auction for 16 million won on Wednesday. / Courtesy of A-Auction |
By Chyung Eun-ju
An item with late former President Roh Moo-hyun's handwriting sold at auction for 16 million won ($14,720) ― 16 times the starting bid ― on Wednesday.
The item, a phrase ― "A world where people live" ― was written before the last day of the Democratic Party's Seoul elections in April 27, 2002. It encapsulates Roh's vision of a better society.
President Moon Jae-in, a longtime friend of Roh, said during Roh's memorial service in South Gyeongsang Province on May 23, 2017: "The name Roh Moo-hyun has become a symbol of a world without foul play or privilege, a world where common sense and principles are valid.
"His dream was to build a country in which democracy, human rights and welfare function properly, a nation without regionalism, ideology conflicts and discrimination."
| Roh celebrates his victory after being voted presidential candidate at the Democratic Party's election at Jamsil Indoor Stadium, Seoul, on April 27, 2002. / Korea Times file |
A-Auction conducted Wednesday's auction and had sales totaling 200 billion won.
The highest price paid was for calligrapher Seo Hui-hwan's "Songs of Flying Dragons." It sold for 17.1 million won, 34 times the opening bid and 1.1 million won more than Roh's writing.