Former Actor’s Debut as a Politician

Moon Sung-keun, famous as a charismatic actor and a TV presenter made an impressive debut on a political stage on Sunday as one of the new leaders of the main opposition party.

The 59-year-old former actor gained second most votes in the Democratic United Party’s leadership vote, following after former Prime Minister Han Myeong-sook. While Han became the chairwoman of the DUP, Moon was given a seat in the party’s top-decision making Supreme Council along with four other runners-up.

Moon wrote on his Twitter yesterday, “I thank you all for the support. The revolution has just begun. Ordinary people will be able to influence and even directly participate in our party’s decision-making process. You can also directly choose your favourite candidates for the General Election in April.”

Young people familiar with Twitter and other social networking services played a vital role in his rise to the DUP leadership above many incumbent MPs and veteran politicians. The most popular podcast ‘I am a man of tricks (in Korean, Na-neun Ggom-su-da) helped him too.

On the other hand, his election is viewed by the media as the return to frontline politics of those loyal to the late former President Roh Moo-hyun who committed suicide in 2009 amid an investigation of the alleged corruption.

Moon is seen as an important player in Roh’s election in 2002. He joined Roh-sa-mo, a supporters’ group for Roh meaning ‘love for Roh Moo-hyun’, headed by Myeong Kye-nam, a renowned actor for his charismatic performance. He delivered several powerful speeches and once, it moved Roh to tears.

Roh with tears was made into a campaign film and the public was attracted to his human touch. During Roh’s presidency, he only focused on acting but after Roh’s death he started a grassroots movement. He secured signatures from nearly 180,000 voters across the country, urging liberal political forces to unite against the ruling conservatives in the next presidential election in December.

Yet, he refused to be seen as just a Roh loyalist. He told a radio programme, “I think it is a tactic to divide liberals into pro-Roh or pro-Kim Dae-jung groups.” He also claimed that he was close to former President Kim Dae-jung since 1976.  

He said, “Kim Dae-jung is the reason why I moved to politics. I wanted to continue to pursue an acting career but in a meeting in 2009, he looked straight into my eyes and told me to go fight. That was when I decided to enter politics.”

Moon is the son of Reverend Moon Ik-hwan, who fought for democracy along with Kim Dae-jung under the military regime led by Park Chung-hee in 1970s. Along with democracy, unification of Korea was his main concern and he was put in prison for visiting North Korea in 1989 then released in 1993. Like his father, Moon also visited North Korea in 2007.

His speech at the party’s national convention discovers his influences. “Reverend Moon Ik-hwan knocked the door, President Kim Dae-jung opened the door and President Roh Moo-hyun paved the way to unification of Korea.”   

Lee Miyoung-hiyoun EnjoyMiracle@theasian.asia