Son Hak-kyu: "President Moon Must Abandon Pro-North Korea Views"

President Moon's New Year's Address, Perceived as Detached from Reality

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Chun-han] Sohn Hak-kyu, leader of the Bareunmirae Party, criticized President Moon Jae-in's 2020 New Year's address on the 8th, saying, "The people expected the president's honest recognition of reality and a major shift in his governance philosophy, but President Moon's New Year's address was still detached from reality."

At the Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly that day, Sohn said, "President Moon's cognitive dissonance, trapped in left-leaning ideology, has now reached a worrying level beyond mere disappointment."

Regarding economic issues, he pointed out, "It is positive that jobs and the economy were mentioned first, but it is regrettable that there was no consideration of structural reforms such as labor reform and regulatory reform, which are key to economic improvement," adding, "President Moon was rather preoccupied with self-praise about economic policies, claiming that jobs are clearly recovering."

He continued, "It is regrettable to see that President Moon still has not escaped the ideological framework of the income-led growth theory, which has been continuously criticized since his inauguration."

Sohn said, "A more serious problem is President Moon's stance on North Korea," emphasizing, "There must be a change in the basic perception of inter-Korean relations. Since the breakdown of the North Korea-U.S. Hanoi summit in January last year and the subsequent deadlock in North Korea-U.S. talks, the inter-Korean relationship has rapidly deteriorated, and this must be soberly acknowledged as a starting point."

Sohn added, "Peace on the Korean Peninsula is a task we must pursue, but as a party involved in the Korean Peninsula issue, we must speak out to North Korea to protect our national interests," and said, "President Moon must abandon his pro-North Korean stance to find a solution to the Korean Peninsula issue."

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