[현장생중계]President Moon Jae-in’s 2021 New Year Press Conference ④

[문재인 대통령]

Reporter 19.

[기자]

This is a reporter from Japan’s Mainichi Newspaper Horiyama. I will ask about solving the past history problem. On January 8th, a ruling was issued giving an order to compensate the Japanese government. I think the comfort women issue is a field in which a lot of diplomatic efforts have been made to complement the relationship under the 65-year agreement between the governments between Korea and Japan, which differs from the conscription issue. For example, there were talks of Kono, talks of Murayama, and the Prime Minister’s apology for them, and although some of those letters were delivered to the comfort women’s grandmother. And in 2015, there was an agreement between Korea and Japan. That’s denied in the ruling. Do you think that the past diplomatic agreement efforts between the Korean and Japanese governments are still valid?

Do you think Japanese government assets should be seized or sold in accordance with the ruling even if there is a diplomatic effort? I know that even if the Japanese government apologizes or does something or takes humanitarian measures, some of the victims will accept it, and some will object to it, and there are many different opinions. Therefore, no one opposes the principle of victim-centredism, but in reality, I think the task is how to create a consensus on the various opinions among victims in Korea. I think that diplomatic agreements and diplomatic efforts are possible only with such a consensus. Ma is curious about how the President will create a consensus for victims in Korea.

[문재인 대통령]

There are issues that must be resolved between Korea and Japan. First of all, there is the issue of export regulation and the issue of compulsory conscription. In order to resolve those issues diplomatically, the two countries are engaged in dialogue at different levels. It is true that it is a bit embarrassing to be honest with the addition of the comfort women judgment issue during such efforts.

However, what I always want to emphasize is that the past is the history of the past, and I think that the future-oriented development between Korea and Japan is that we must do it again. I think it is necessary to separate the problems of the past and find solutions from each other.

Until these issues are resolved by linking all the issues together, so to speak, I think that such an attitude, such as stopping cooperation in other fields, is never a smart way. In the case of the recent judgment on comfort women, there was an agreement on the comfort women issue between the two governments in 2015. The Korean government acknowledges that the agreement was an official agreement between the two governments. On that basis, we will discuss between Korea and Japan so that the grandmothers of the victims who received this judgment can find a solution that can be agreed upon.

The same goes for the issue of forced labor. I don’t think it is desirable for the relations between Korea and Japan that such parts are monetized by way of enforcement or the way the judgment is realized. Prior to such a stage, it is more important to find a diplomatic solution between the two countries, but the diplomatic solution is that the plaintiffs must be able to agree. I believe that the two governments will discuss how the plaintiffs can agree, and the Korean government will be able to persuade the plaintiffs as much as possible with that plan, and solve the problem step by step in this way.

Reporter 52.

[기자]

Thanks for the point.

[사회자]

The connection is not smooth, so I hope to move on to the next minute.

[문재인 대통령]

I’ll give you another chance later. Then reporter number 25.

[기자]

Mr. President, this is reporter Lim Il-young of the Seoul newspaper. The President said a while ago that the denuclearization negotiations have not been concluded in relation to the message of the advancement of nuclear armed forces that appeared at the recent 8th party conference in North Korea. I wonder if the President still evaluates Chairman Kim’s determination to denuclearize.

In addition, I am curious to know if you believe that the 4th inter-Korean summit during the term of office or that Chairman Kim’s return to Seoul is necessary for the peace process on the Korean Peninsula, and what plans do you have for this?

[문재인 대통령]

First of all, I think that Chairman Kim Jong-un’s will for peace, also for dialogue, and also for denuclearization. However, what North Korea requires is that instead, the security of the system must be guaranteed by the United States and relations with the United States must be normalized. Such big principles have already been agreed upon by a joint declaration at the first summit in Singapore between the two countries.

The problem is, I believe that the Hanoi summit has ended in misfire, as we have not reached an agreement on how to implement the agreed principles in detail and step by step.

It is known that the new administration of Biden now prefers the bottom-up type of talks to the top-down type of talks. I think that if North America talks more quickly and closely about such measures to embody the principles agreed upon in the Singapore Declaration, it is such a problem that a solution can be found. Also, Korea will do its best to find a solution.

Chairman Kim Jong-un’s visit to the south is an agreement between the two Koreas. So I look forward to seeing it happen someday. However, I don’t think there is a need to insist that Chairman Kim Jong-un’s return must come first. I am willing to meet with Chairman Kim Jong-un anytime, anywhere, and I believe that if the inter-Korean summit continues, so that more trust is built up, one day, a return visit by Chairman Kim Jong-un to the south will be made.

Reporter number 6.

[기자]

This is Arirang TV reporter Minji Kim. In his New Year’s speech, the President said he would make the last effort to transform the dialogue between North and South Korea, but there is a high possibility that the combined military exercises scheduled for March will be a test bed for South American relations.

Military training is necessary for the transition of OPCON, and there must be close discussions between the United States and South Korea in the future, but I am curious to what extent the President is able to accept North Korea’s request to stop combined training and whether there is room for persuasion to the Biden administration. In addition, please answer if you are willing to discuss the end of the war with the Biden administration early.

[문재인 대통령]

What was the last declaration of the war? North Korea reacts very sensitively to the ROK-US joint exercises every time. I think that the ROK-US joint exercises can be discussed in the framework of the peace process on the Korean Peninsula, which is denuclearization and peace settlement on the Korean Peninsula. There is such an agreement between the two Koreas to discuss joint military exercises between the two Koreas through the Inter-Korean Military Joint Committee. I would like to say that if necessary, we can discuss with North Korea through the Inter-Korean Military Joint Committee.

Anyway, I would like to emphasize once again that the ROK-US combined training we are doing is annually, so to speak, training for defensive purposes.

And the Declaration of the End of the War states that if the true goal that we must achieve is denuclearization on one side and then denuclearization is fully realized, then peace is fully established between North and South Korea, or between the three parties through a peace agreement, and relations between the US and the United States are normalized. It is this process of becoming, but I think it can be a very important momentum in the dialogue process of denuclearization, and also in the dialogue process of peace building that leads to a peace agreement. On that point, when the Biden government takes office, we will explain and persuade the US side of our concept through various communication.

If you weren’t connected before, can you connect?

[사회자]

No, I haven’t been able to connect, so I decided not to ask a question. I can elect a new one.

[문재인 대통령]

Reporter 106.

[기자]

President, do you have any plans to take new steps in reforming the chaebol? Or I would like to ask if this has become a secondary issue because of economic growth.

[문재인 대통령]

Regarding the fair economy, the 3rd Fair Economy Act was already passed by the National Assembly. I believe that the democratization of our corporate governance structure will play a big role in the advancement of economic democracy through such things as a fair economy between large and SMEs. First of all, the legal and institutional reforms related to the fair economy were largely ended with the passage of the 3 Fair Economy Act.

On the other hand, for a more labor-respecting society, the 3 Labor Relations Act was passed in this way, and through it, we are able to ratify the core ILO agreements. The ratification bill is already being processed by the National Assembly. I think that through such laws, we will be able to develop a more balanced relationship between labor and management.

Another important part of the chaebol issue is that we should no longer be a society where we die while working. Large corporations outsourced risks through subcontracting and are not responsible for outsourcing risks, and serious disasters that hurt our people have continued. The Law on Punishment for Companies with Serious Accidents was also passed by the National Assembly.

In terms of content, although the labor world criticizes that it is insufficient in the labor world, and the management community criticizes that it will be a great pressure on management, so I think that they have taken an important first step anyway.

As we implement the law, we believe that if there are any deficiencies, we will further supplement and develop it, and through it, we can say that we can take a step forward in the safety issues of our industrial sites.

[사회자]

Now a lot of time has passed. Can I finish the field query and move on to the chat query? Then, we will finish the query by field and move on to the chat query. I have already received questions from reporters who have not been able to participate in the video connection or on the scene here. SBS reporter Kyung-yoon Jung will do the hard work.

[기자]

Good morning. This is SBS reporter Jung Kyung-yoon. As Chief Man-ho Jung said a while ago, there are about 160 reporters entering the Blue House who were unable to participate in the press conference here and online. These reporters were constantly posting questions in the online chat window on my right. Questions that did not come up during the press conference, this issue, I want to hear the President’s thoughts. Or I have additional questions, I kept posting these things.

So, we selected three of these questions that received much approval from reporters. I’m going to ask that question from now on. Can I ask you a question right now?

The first question. This is a question regarding the hosting of the 4th Inter-Korean Summit. North Korea did not appoint a South Korean secretary or an international secretary while reviving party secretaries on the occasion of the 8th Party Congress.
Some say that South Korea has postponed its international policies to the second place. Is the President aiming for a summit meeting between the two Koreas, even at the end of his tenure, even by burn? If you do, please answer what you would like the top priority among denuclearization, inter-Korean cooperation, and North American dialogue.

[문재인 대통령]

First of all, for me, when I first considered the situation on the Korean Peninsula in 2017, when I was inaugurated as president, it was a situation where peace was threatened so much that the dark clouds of war were covering the situation on the Korean Peninsula. I think it’s a great reward to get out of such a situation and maintain peace so far. Even between the two Koreas, through the Panmunjom Declaration and the Pyongyang Declaration, we were able to greatly improve.

However, it is very regrettable that we could not go any further and stopped at that stage. For the first time between North and South America, there was such a development that the two leaders had direct talks, and I believe that the Korean government played an important role in the dialogue between the two Koreas.

However, it is very regrettable that the talks between the United States and the United States also went far worse after seeing a very good agreement that the Singapore Declaration. I am in my 5th year in power this year, so I don’t have much time left. That doesn’t mean we can’t rush. It’s the last time I have left, so I’d love to do it if I can do my best to develop inter-Korean relations during that time, without thinking quickly and without rushing.

As I mentioned earlier, if the summit is helpful in the development of inter-Korean relations, I think that meeting is not just the purpose, but if we can achieve something, anytime, anywhere. What I mentioned about the non-face-to-face method is that North Korea is also very sensitive to the corona situation, so if such a situation becomes an obstacle to meeting face-to-face, in various non-face-to-face ways. The non-face-to-face method doesn’t necessarily mean there is only a video conference method. I was expressing my willingness to be able to communicate in a variety of non-face-to-face ways, including video conferences. Among these denuclearization, inter-Korean cooperation, and North American dialogue, it is important to look back at why the agreement was reached until the Singapore Declaration, but why the Hanoi talks were not successful.

In the Singapore Declaration, North Korea and the United States exchanged necessary promises with each other. The process of realizing these promises in detail is important, and because these implementations cannot be made at once, all at once, inevitably, it must be carried out step by step. And I think this step-by-step process should be something that keeps pace with each other, giving and receiving each other. Taking advantage of the Trump administration’s successes and failures as teachers on the other side, I believe that if the Biden administration engages in dialogue with the US with a new attitude, it will surely produce good results.

On the one hand, when it comes to inter-Korean relations, there is clearly such an obstacle that we cannot fully cooperate between the two Koreas because we are in the framework of such sanctions called UN sanctions. However, there are some cooperative projects that can be done between the two Koreas while not violating the sanctions or obtaining an exception to the sanctions. Specifically, humanitarian businesses. Anyway, the humanitarian cooperation projects and other projects that can be done between the two Koreas will be of great help to the development of inter-Korean relations, as long as the two Koreas work together as much as possible through dialogue. Will be I would like to say that we must establish a virtuous cycle relationship with each other.

[기자]

Is it okay to ask the second question right away? The second question is to ask your position regarding the late Mayor Park Won-soon. The late Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon, who is also the president’s political comrade, has been accused of sexual harassment in the court. I also sent an indirect message while avoiding direct fraudulent condolences and sending harmony, but I would like to first ask if there is any position on the accusation of the late Mayor Park.

In addition, in the days of the party leader, a no-nomination principle was created for the vacancy attributable to the head of the group. In particular, in the case of Minister Park Young-seon, who seems to be running for good, if he resigns, the President himself accepts his gratitude and appoints a successor, and I would like to hear from you.

[문재인 대통령]

First of all, the Mayor Park Won-soon case is unfortunate in many ways. First of all, it is very unfortunate that the victims have been harmed, and I also regret the situation in which so-called secondary damage is alleged in the course of various controversies after that. On the other hand, I am very sorry about why Mayor Park Won-soon did that and why he made such an extreme choice.

In the party constitution, which was created when I was the party leader, there was a rule that no candidates for re-election will be issued if the group leader becomes vacant due to reasons attributable to the group leader. However, the Party Constitution cannot be fixed as our Constitution is not fixed and the Constitution can be revised at any time by the will of the people. The party constitution that I was made in the days of president cannot be regarded as sacred. It can be said that the party constitution is not in a paper document, but the entire intention of the party members. Since the Democratic Party members have decided to revise the Party constitution and vote for candidates, I have a view of respect for the Democratic Party’s choice and the Democratic Party’s choice.

[기자]

I’ll just ask you the last question. This is a question asking what was your first impression of President Biden of the United States. Then, I wonder what kind of communication you have communicated with the Biden administration in the context so far. In particular, please give me an answer on what was related to North Korea.

[문재인 대통령]

First of all, I spoke on the phone when President-elect Biden was elected, and after the inauguration of the Biden administration, the doctors agreed to further develop our relationship with the United States. In the past, during the Kim Dae-jung administration, I cooperated well with the US Democratic Party government, and at that time I have the experience of making great progress in so-called inter-Korean relations. Biden’s administration and our Korean government have such an expectation that we will make even greater progress in ROK-US relations because there are similarities in value orientation and policy stance in many ways, and there are so-called codes that feel the same.

Regarding North Korea, we have not yet been able to discuss concretely with President Biden. However, through communication at each level, we are making such an effort to make the security line of the US Biden new government understand the process of our Korean government on the Korean peninsula, and then make the North Korean issue a priority so that it does not fall behind the US diplomatic issue. I tell you that we are making such an effort.

[사회자]

I will finish the chat query. So far, all questions and answers by field and chat inquiries have been completed. President, do you have anything else to say?

[문재인 대통령]

It is also sad to see past. Anyway, I hope it was a good time for communication. In addition, I hope that it will be a good opportunity for the people to hear the President’s opinions on their questions.

Although there was a story before, I would like to emphasize once more that the third coronavirus outbreak is making our people very difficult. However, I think we have reached the end now. It’s clearly broken, and as we work a little more, we can move on to the stage where we use treatments and vaccines in a much more calming situation. I am saying that the people will give me a little more strength.

Another thing to say is that our economy is very good, macroscopically. In 2020, all OECD countries showed negative growth, but Korea was still the best and maintained the so-called top-notch growth rate. Not only that, this year too, since everyone has increased negative growth last year, the growth rate will be higher this year in countries with greater negative growth.

We, Korea, have confidence that we can recover to levels before the coronavirus situation within the first half of this year. However, just because various indicators are good in such a macroeconomy does not mean that the economy experienced by our people is improving. Even if the macroeconomy succeeds, it may take longer for people’s lives to recover and people’s employment to recover. In this regard, I would like to say the last word that the government is emphasizing an inclusive recovery that resolves the corona gap and inequality, so the government will do its best, so the people also believe in the government and cooperate together until the end. Thank you.

[사회자]

This concludes the press conference for the new year of President Moon Jae-in in 2021. For the first time, video connection with the site was conducted simultaneously. There was a part that didn’t go smoothly in the process. We would appreciate your patience. Thank you to the reporters who have participated and to the people who have watched. The President will move.