President Moon: "The Best Overseas Trip, The Best Summit... Direct Vaccine Support as a 'Surprise Gift'"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] President Moon Jae-in, who visited the United States and held a 'no-mask' meeting with President Biden, expressed his thoughts on the 22nd (local time), saying, "It was the best trip and the best meeting."

President Moon said through a social network service (SNS) message that "It was the first overseas trip and face-to-face meeting since COVID-19, and the first no-mask meeting, so I felt even better."

President Moon said, "President Biden, Vice President Harris, and Speaker Pelosi were all cheerful, humorous, and made people feel comfortable," adding, "Everyone treated me sincerely, and I felt well received."

Regarding the results of the meeting, he evaluated, "It was excellent, beyond expectations," and said, "The United States paid a lot of attention to understanding and reflecting our position."

President Moon expressed gratitude, saying, "The announcement of direct vaccine support following the vaccine partnership was truly a surprise gift," and added, "There was considerable internal opposition questioning why advanced countries like Korea, which has the best overall situation in quarantine and vaccines, should be prioritized for support, but the importance of the ROK-US alliance was especially emphasized."

President Moon also called the announcement of the appointment of Special Representative Sung Kim for North Korea a 'surprise gift' revealed just before the press conference, saying, "There had been many expectations that a human rights representative would be appointed first, but this showed a priority on denuclearization negotiations with North Korea."

President Moon emphasized, "Ambassador Sung Kim is well-versed in the situation on the Korean Peninsula and the history of denuclearization negotiations and contributed to the Singapore Joint Statement," adding, "It was a message that North Korea is ready for dialogue."

President Moon also expressed gratitude to American leaders, Korean residents, and Korean-American lawmakers, stating, "On my way back, I will visit SK Innovation's Georgia plant in Atlanta before returning." After attending the vaccine agreement event that day, President Moon departed from Washington Airport and arrived at Atlanta Airport in the United States.

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