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| President Moon Jae-in points at a journalist to take a question during a press conference at Cheong Wa Dae after a speech to mark his fourth anniversary of inauguration, Monday. Yonhap |
President confident of 'November herd immunity' goal
By Nam Hyun-woo
President Moon Jae-in said Monday that the new North Korea policy developed by President Joe Biden's administration was "another chance" for Pyongyang to begin dialogue, pledging he will do his utmost to facilitate talks between the two Koreas and the U.S.
"The U.S. consulted with the South Korean government on the policy from the beginning, in the belief that the prolonged breakdown in talks with the North is inappropriate," Moon said during a press conference marking his fourth anniversary in office.
"Though the new U.S. administration's North Korea policy has not been fully revealed, it is on the same page as our government."
Moon's remarks came amid the prolonged stalemate in the President's efforts to revive the "peace mood" on the Korean Peninsula after the failed Hanoi summit in 2019 between former U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
Following the inauguration of the Biden government, North Korea has tested the U.S. and South Korea by launching short-range missiles in March, and engaging in verbal threats while severing all contact with Seoul.
Against this backdrop, Washington has dropped hints about its policy toward the North, with White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki saying it will be a "calibrated, practical approach that is open to and will explore diplomacy."
"This is the result of close consultation with us," Moon said during a speech before the press conference. "We welcome the direction of the Biden administration's North Korea policy that aims to achieve the primary goal of complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula through diplomacy, with a flexible, gradual and practical approach built upon the foundations of the Singapore Declaration."
Regarding the current stalemate, Moon said he believes Pyongyang is not refusing to engage in talks, and that the Kim Jong-un regime will make a last-minute decision because the new U.S. policy is providing the reclusive state with an additional chance.
"As the North Korea now has an additional chance to sit down for negotiations, I expect it to give a positive response," Moon said. "During the upcoming summit with the U.S., I will explore various ways that can entice the North to come forward for talks," said Moon, who is scheduled to have his first in-person meeting with Biden in Washington, D.C., May 21.
During the speech, Moon stressed that his government will "strictly enforce the laws" against activities that "dampen inter-Korean relations by violating inter-Korean agreements and current laws," referring to the recent case of a North Korean defectors' organization flying anti-Kim regime leaflets over the border into the North.
The government has criminalized such acts, saying this was to protect residents in border areas. However, the move drew criticism from U.S. lawmakers and international human rights groups that stated the law banning the anti-Pyongyang leaflet campaigns limited South Korea's freedom of speech.
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| Citizens watch a television at Seoul Station, Monday, airing a speech by President Moon Jae-in to mark the fourth anniversary of his inauguration. Yonhap |
Requesting fair appraisal
Regarding the administration's COVID-19 vaccination program, Moon said the government has revised up its target of inoculating 12 million people by the end of June, to more than 13 million, and will complete giving at least a first dose to everyone in the eligible population by the end of September, ensuring that herd immunity is achieved earlier than the original goal of November.
In saying this, Moon refuted lingering criticism that the country is struggling with vaccinations, saying efforts so far should be appraised fairly.
"Still, it is true that it would have been better if vaccination could have commenced a little bit earlier, as we face comparisons with other countries that are vaccinating at a faster pace," Moon said.
"However, given our circumstances ― the lack of a domestically developed COVID-19 vaccine and inability to make massive investments ahead of time ― the health authorities and professionals in charge of epidemic prevention have set up situation-specific plans to import and administer vaccines, and are implementing them as scheduled, something which they should be given due credit for."
Asked what was the most regrettable policy during the past four years of his presidency, Moon said he felt disappointed with policies to stabilize the real estate market, saying his government had been "reprimanded by the public" through the results of the April 7 by-elections for Seoul and Busan mayors, which ended in a crushing defeat for his ruling Democratic Party of Korea.
"Since the public delivered a grim judgment, it is natural for the government to make improvements in its current real estate policy," Moon said. "However, the fundamentals of the policies ― preventing speculation and expanding the housing supply ― will not change."
As to pardoning jailed former Presidents Lee Myung-bak and Park Geun-hye, and Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong, Moon reiterated his previous stance of first reaching a public consensus, but used a more neutral expression saying he would make a decision "after taking the public voice into account."
Calls have grown among some conservatives to pardon the former presidents, who were imprisoned after being respectively found guilty of corruption. They claim granting them leniency will help achieve national unity. Businesses are also urging the President to release the de facto head of Samsung, imprisoned after his trial for bribery linked to Park, to have him play a greater role in the global competition to secure additional semiconductor manufacturing capacity.
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