"There Are Still Many People Unable to Escape Cold War Mentality"

Highly Praised Book 'The Power of Peace' by Former Vice Minister Choi Jong-geon
"No Country Needs Peace More Than Us"
"Roh Tae-woo Government's Northern Policy, A Major Shift in Our Diplomatic History"

"(Former Vice Foreign Minister Choi Jong-geon's) ≪The Power of Peace≫. It is a very welcome book. It contains content that I would like to include if I ever write a memoir about the Moon Jae-in administration's view on peace, tireless efforts for peace, achievements and limitations, and reflections."

Former President Moon Jae-in praised the book titled The Power of Peace, written by former Vice Foreign Minister Choi Jong-geon, on social media (SNS) on the 3rd. Former Vice Minister Choi is a professor in the Department of Political Science and Diplomacy at Yonsei University and served as the Secretary for Peace Planning at the National Security Office in the Moon Jae-in administration's Blue House. The Power of Peace is a book that covers the peace process of the Moon Jae-in administration.

Former President Moon said, "As a divided nation that has experienced war, there is no country more desperate for peace than ours. Peace must be accompanied by defense and diplomacy," adding, "Without efforts to resolve hostility between the South and the North through dialogue and diplomatic efforts to favorably lead the geopolitical environment, it is difficult to achieve stable peace that is not easily shaken."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

In particular, former President Moon emphasized, "In that regard, the Northern Policy of the Roh Tae-woo administration, which established diplomatic relations with communist countries and signed the South-North Basic Agreement with North Korea, was the most revolutionary turning point and decision in our diplomatic history."

Former President Moon explained, "The Kim Dae-jung, Roh Moo-hyun, and Moon Jae-in administrations inherited and developed that policy. During those times, inter-Korean relations improved, peace was relatively maintained, and balanced diplomacy was enhanced," adding, "It was also during this period that the national income increased significantly, leading to the era of $20,000 and $30,000 per capita income."

Former President Moon criticized, "In administrations that failed to do so, the opposite occurred. Inter-Korean relations regressed, peace became precarious, and even national income stagnated or even declined," adding, "Despite such clear contrasts, many people still have not escaped Cold War thinking."

Choi Jong-geon, First Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, attended the Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee plenary session held at the National Assembly on June 22, 2021, responding to questions from lawmakers. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

Although former President Moon developed his writing in the form of evaluating a book by a Blue House aide, it has attracted attention because he delivered the message at a politically sensitive time. While he did not specifically mention the Yoon Suk-yeol administration, the message is open to various interpretations.

Former President Moon concluded his writing with the following:

"I wonder how much different inter-Korean relations, security situations, and even the economy would have been if successive governments had consistently passed the baton in policies for peace. I hope this book becomes a topic that broadens the horizon of awareness for all of us."

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