Supporters of late President Roh launch political campaign

SEOUL, Sept. 2 (Yonhap) -- A number of former aides and supporters of late former
President Roh Moo-hyun announced on Wednesday they will launch a political
campaign, a move that may be aimed at creating a new political party.

Their goal is to "succeed and uphold" Roh's will and teachings, the group's
organizers said in a press conference in Seoul.
"We decided to launch a public campaign based on the belief of the deceased that
the last bastion of democracy is the unified force of conscious citizens," they
said in a statement.
The group, tentatively named the "Citizen Sovereignty Campaign," is jointly
headed by Lee Hae-chan and Han Myeong-sook, both of whom served as prime minister
during Roh's 2003-2008 presidency. It has been joined by more than 70 people who
supported the late former president, including Roh's former chief of staff, Moon
Jae-in, and former health minister Rhyu Si-min.
Roh died on May 23 after jumping off a cliff near his retirement home in Bongha
Village, some 450km south of Seoul. His family and aides had been under
prosecution investigation on bribery suspicions, tarnishing the legacy of the
former leader who championed clean politics.
Lee Hae-chan, a former lawmaker, said the main goal of the new organization was
to build a community that will "live by and further develop the late former
president's political views and values."
He hinted at the possibility of the campaign becoming a political movement,
saying the main focus of its activities will be to reform the country's legal,
political and media sectors.
"We will be holding different events once the organization is established, with a
clear vision of what citizens' politics should be," he said.
bdk@yna.co.kr
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