For Roh, Busan crew is a special group

For President-elect Roh Moo-hyun, people from Busan have a special meaning. They are more than simple acquaintances to the former labor lawyer. To Mr. Roh they are "comrades" who endured with him critical political ordeals.

They are largely divided into two groups: Mr. Roh's contemporaries who gathered at his Gwangalli apartment in Busan to discuss labor issues during the turbulent 1980s, and younger people in their 30s and 40s who went to work for him later.

Key among the older group is attorney Moon Jae-in. He is considered Mr. Roh's closest confidante, having joined Mr. Roh's law firm in 1982. He was also the man with the quick cash whenever Mr. Roh was in need, often lending him as much as 20 million won ($16,000) at a time.

Another in the older group is the Reverend Song Ki-in, the Catholic priest Busan's democracy activists call "Godfather." He made Mr. Roh's acquaintance during several human-rights related court cases the two were involved in.

Kim Jae-kyu was once the leader of the Busan Democracy Park, a protest group founded in the 1960s. More recently, he organized a group of private people who worked for Mr. Roh's presidential campaign in Busan. Lee Ho-chul is a supporter who has appeared out of the blue to work at every Roh campaign only to vanish behind his desk at the travel agency he runs after the election. He was the defendant in a 1981 case that was Mr. Roh's first pro-democracy court battle.

Busan attorney Cho Sung-rae was Mr. Roh's campaign chairman in Busan. Former speaker of the National Assembly Shin Sang-woo, who went to high school with Mr. Roh, and former lawmaker Kim Jung-kil, are some of the people Mr. Roh trusts enough to turn to for advice.

Several of Mr. Roh's younger Busan connections are now involved with the presidential transition committee. Jung Yun-jae, a student activist during his days at Pusan National University, is now an expert on the transition team. He went to work for Mr. Roh just before the 1988 general election as a speech coach. Mr. Roh, who was unaccustomed to speaking before large crowds, won his first term in the National Assembly with Mr. Jung's help. Chung Dong-soo, who quit a teaching job to join the team, and Park Jae-ho, who was an aide to former Assemblyman Seo Seok-jai, are also from Busan.

Lee Kwang-jae is another man who goes back with Mr. Roh to the '80s. Mr. Roh met him in Busan while he was on the run from the police in 1987. He now heads a policy planning team on the transition committee.

Mr. Roh is also acquainted with the man leading the restructuring of the Samsung Group, Lee Hak-soo. They went to high school together and have stayed in close touch over the years, people close to the two men say.

by Seo Seung-wook