President Moon Returns Home After Australia Visit... 'Pandemic Control Challenges' Remain

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] President Moon Jae-in returned home on the 15th after a 3-night, 4-day official visit to Australia. As the daily number of new COVID-19 cases approached 8,000 and the death toll reached a record high, President Moon is expected to immediately tackle the pressing quarantine challenges upon his return.

On the morning of the same day, President Moon boarded Air Force One at Kingsford Smith Airport in Australia, receiving a farewell from officials of both Australia and South Korea before departing for home.

During this state visit, held to mark the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries, President Moon held a summit with Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, elevating bilateral relations to a "comprehensive strategic partnership." They also held consultations on supply chains for critical minerals such as lithium and cobalt and signed a defense contract worth approximately 1 trillion won.

However, during this visit, President Moon drew a clear line by stating that South Korea is "not considering" a boycott of the Beijing Winter Olympics, revealing the country's position of having to engage in "tightrope diplomacy" amid U.S.-China tensions, leaving this as an ongoing challenge.

President Moon posted on social networking service (SNS) on the same day titled "Leaving Australia," stating that "visiting Australia, located in the Southern Hemisphere with seasons opposite to ours, was for cooperation on mineral and rare earth supply chains and defense collaboration," adding, "We will share carbon-neutral technologies and cooperate on hydrogen and space development as well."

After returning, President Moon is expected to immediately focus on urgent quarantine issues. According to authorities, the number of new COVID-19 cases on the day was 7,850, nearing 8,000, and the number of critically ill patients reached a record high of 964.

Accordingly, the phased return to normal life (With COVID-19), which began last month, is expected to be temporarily suspended. Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum gave prior notice regarding measures at the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters meeting on the same day, and strengthened measures are expected to be announced at the meeting on the 17th.

Park Soo-hyun, Senior Secretary for Public Communication at the Blue House, appeared on Yonhap News TV's "News Focus" and said, "We have said that if the situation becomes severe, we can revert back, and since measures must be prepared according to the situation at each time, the announcement on the 17th is expected to reflect these circumstances."

Regarding reports that President Moon is reluctant to suspend the phased return to normal life, Park dismissed them as "fake news," pointing out that "such articles cause public anxiety and do not help in managing the situation steadily."

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