Kim Moon-soo, the presidential candidate of the People Power Party, visited the Daejeon National Cemetery on the 12th, the first day of the campaign for the 21st presidential election, to commemorate the spirits of the fallen heroes, including those who died in the Second Battle of Yeonpyeong and the Cheonan incident. Only Kim Yong-tae, appointed as the emergency response committee chairperson, will pay a separate tribute to the grave of the late Corporal Chae Soo-geun, a victim of the Marine Corps casualty incident.
The candidate visited the Daejeon National Cemetery at around 1:30 p.m. that day. Before the visit to the graves, he wrote "Great Republic of Korea" in the guest book.
After the tribute, he met with reporters and noted, "I will discuss and announce our position regarding the apology and reflection on the martial law and impeachment."
This response came after Chairperson Kim stated at a campaign committee meeting that "the martial law enacted by the president produced by the People Power Party was wrong, that the party itself failed to hold the president accountable for the wrongful actions, and that it must acknowledge the failure to achieve true cooperative politics with the president before such martial law occurred." Kim Moon-soo had also said after being elected as the presidential candidate on the 3rd that he would "clarify the position after discussions" regarding the apology demands from Representative Ahn Cheol-soo and others.
The candidate, after offering incense at the Memorial Tower, visited the graves of the National Contributors, the fallen soldiers of the Second Battle of Yeonpyeong, and the graves of the 46 soldiers from the Cheonan, laying flowers and honoring the deceased.
At the gravesite of the National Contributors, he paid tribute to Minister Choi Hyung-seob, cartoonist Kim Sung-hwan, Minister Kim Man-je, and Speaker Lee Man-seop, and offered flowers at the grave of Han Pil-soon, the head of the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute.
This is interpreted as an emphasis on 'veteran affairs,' a core value prioritized by the conservative camp, and a commitment to national technical security such as nuclear power.
The candidate emphasized, "Many have sacrificed their lives. It is the fundamental duty of the nation for all citizens to come and pay tribute and inherit the noble spirit of their dedication," adding that "honoring the spirit of veteran affairs and dignifying the families of the deceased should be prioritized in national governance."
However, the candidate did not visit the grave of the Marine who died during the search for missing persons from the heavy rain situation last July, citing a tight schedule. Only the Chairperson decided to pay a separate tribute.
Kim Moon-soo said, "Today, I visited the grave of the person who first started our country's nuclear power and briefly paid tribute at the graves of the fallen heroes who sacrificed themselves for the defense of the West Sea and the homeland," adding, "I apologize for not being able to pay tribute to each individually. Instead, I will substitute my tribute by visiting the Memorial Tower."
Chairperson Kim explained the reason for his tribute to reporters by saying, "Our government should obviously apologize for what it has done." Previously, among the People Power Party leadership, floor leader Chu Kyung-ho had paid tribute at the Marine's grave a year before.
The tribute at the National Cemetery that day included Kim Yong-tae, co-chairperson of the campaign committee, and lawmakers Park Deok-heum, Lee Man-hee, Eom Tae-young, Lee Jong-bae, and Kang Seung-kyu, as well as Chairman Lee Sang-min of the Daejeon City Party, Chairman Lee Jun-bae of the Sejong City Party, Chairman Seo Seung-woo of the Chungbuk Provincial Party, and Chairman Kim Young-seok of the Chungnam Provincial Party.
About 50 supporters of the candidate gathered as well. They held signs reading "Forward with Kim Moon-soo" and "Kim Moon-soo is the rightful candidate." Some supporters were also seen holding a sign that said "Yoon Again" along with the American flag.