Moon Jung-in: "In US-China Conflict, If Korea Sides with US, Ensuring Peace on Korean Peninsula Is Difficult"

Interview_Moon Jung-in, Chairman of Sejong Institute (Conversation with Professor Hwang Jae-ho, Hankuk University of Foreign Studies)./Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Seo So-jung] Moon Jeong-in, Chairman of the Sejong Institute, argued that it would be difficult to guarantee peace on the Korean Peninsula if South Korea sides with the United States amid the US-China conflict.

Moon, who served as the President's Special Advisor on Unification, Foreign Affairs, and Security until February, stated this in an interview with the Asahi Shimbun on the 11th.

Regarding the absence of explicit mention of China containment in the joint statement of the recent South Korea-US Foreign and Defense Ministers (2+2) meeting last month, Moon said, "If South Korea sides with the United States, it will be difficult to guarantee peace and prosperity on the Korean Peninsula, including North Korea."

He explained, "China will focus on supporting North Korea, and Russia will also join in to strengthen the alliance," adding, "The security burden on South Korea, which is on the front line of confrontation, will increase infinitely."

In response to criticism in Japan that South Korea appears to be closer to China, Moon countered, "The United States is strengthening its engagement in the Northeast Asia region to contain China, so it is not possible for South Korea to take a direction solely favoring China."

He said, "As the US-China confrontation intensifies, South Korea's options become limited, so it must move in a direction that alleviates the confrontation," and added, "I call this transcendental diplomacy, which is the way for South Korea to survive."

Moon asserted, "Active diplomacy is not about belonging to either the US or Chinese camp, but about creating a new order of multilateral cooperation and regional integration, which prevents US-China clashes and secures diplomatic maneuvering space."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.