[imText1]Daily NK conducted interviews with 10 defector intellectuals, which revealed that all 10 would support a “candidate who will grandly speak his or her mind to the North.” They also resolutely expressed political ideas. They said they will support a Grand National Party candidate at this year’s election.
As for the reason, they said, “The Roh Moo Hyun administration cannot be more disappointing.”
We asked the 10 defectors who entered South Korea last month regarding the values that the candidates should have towards North Korea and the United States. These were people who had graduated from or were college students at Kim Il Sung University, Kim Chaek University of Technology, Pyongyang College of Education, and Chongjin College of Education.
Among the defectors who had entered, a significant number of them supported Roh Moo Hyun candidate in the 2002 Presidential Election. In 2002, the Roh Moo Hyun candidate greatly appealed to the defectors with his shirt-sleeve image. However, the defectors were not free in that current.
Five years later, voices supporting the ruling party or the leftist party are especially rare in the defector society.
◆ “Candidate support that does not keep the North in mind” = The defectors, in the last five years, while enduring the Roh Moo Hyun administration and realized that their nomination was not right. They criticized that the administration was being dragged around and merely used by North Korea.
From a position that directly experienced the North Korean system, the analysis is that the administration just tiptoed around the North Korean authorities and truthfully, was stowed away by the North.
Among the interviewees, many of them supported Lee Myung Bak, the former mayor of Seoul. The reason for this is he is a well-qualified person for fixing the free market economy and for attaining economic development.
The evaluation of the defector regarding the current government and the ruling party can be summarized as incapable and as being dragged around by the North.
They gave the evaluations of “destroying the economy,” “the Open Uri Party is incapable,” “cannot raise even one bitter remark to the North,” “only helps Kim Jong Il.” They even showed the reaction of “any candidate is fine as long as she or he is from the Grand National Party.” The discontent with the current administration had progressed to a level of hidden dislike.”
Shim Joo Il, a graduate of Kim Il Sung University, said, “a person who can fix the convention of the democratic society and develop the economy based on the principle of free market economy should be the president.” “I am drawn to Lee Myung Bak and Park Geun Hye, the two Grand National Party candidates.”
Mr. Shim ordered, “President Roh has a pro-Kim Jong Il regime policy, which derides South Korean citizens.” “A person who can penetrate North Korea’s true nature and is not dragged around should be the new President.”
Chongjin Mining College graduate Jang Ho Nam said, “I support a person who says what needs to be said to North Korea without spoon-feeding them for the purpose of peaceful coexistence.” “Currently, I support the two candidates of the Grand National Party, though I will decide after watching the TV debates.” “S/he has to be a person who can restore the economy,” he added.
Pyongyang Education College graduate Jang In Duk said, “The economy is a disaster due to the government’s maladministration. I am fine with anyone next term as long as s/he is of the Grand National Party.” “The person who can develop the economy is Lee Myung Bak,” he added.
◆ “The North Korean issue should be resolved through the US-Korea alliance” = Further, the defectors criticized the US policy of the government which caused a fissure in the US-Korea alliance and said a candidate who can raise the level of the alliance should be elected.
They especially emphasized the resolution of the North Korean issue through the US-South Korea alliance. “In the situation where North Korea conducted nuclear experiments and has not abandoned the spread of communization by invading the South, the US-South Korea alliance is an effective means of restraining the North.”
Park Il Hyun, who is a graduate of Kim Chaek University of Technology, pointed out, “Kim Dae Jung and Roh Moo Hyun administrations estranged the US-South Korea relations which was tied through the blood alliance and the entry into the Korean War.” “A firm alliance is needed for the safety of the peninsula and for economic development.”
