President Moon: "I Will Not Engage in Active Politics After Leaving Office... Understand Prosecutors' Opposition to 'Kumsu Wanbak'"

Published 25 Apr.2022 19:00(KST)

"Leaving Work on May 9th at the End of the Day... Not Uncomfortable at All"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] President Moon Jae-in stated on May 9, his last day in office, that he would leave work at 6 p.m., the usual time for leaving work, and that he felt "not uncomfortable at all." Regarding the complete removal of prosecutorial investigative authority (Geomsu Wanbak), he emphasized that "the method and process of implementation must gain public consensus," and announced his intention not to engage in active politics after his retirement.

On the afternoon of the 25th, President Moon held a meeting with reporters within the Blue House grounds and said, "I plan to leave the Blue House at 6 p.m. on May 9, the time I finish work," revealing his plans.

As the transition committee decided to open the Blue House from May 10, there has been political debate over whether President Moon would remain at the Blue House on his last day, May 9. Democratic Party lawmaker Go Min-jung criticized President-elect Yoon Seok-youl, calling it "a cruelty devoid of even the minimum common sense and respect for human dignity."

However, President Moon said, "I plan to spend the night of May 9 outside the Blue House and then attend the inauguration ceremony of the new president the next day before taking the KTX train to my hometown (Yangsan). I am not uncomfortable at all with not spending the last night at the Blue House."

Regarding the controversy over his whereabouts on the last day of his term, President Moon requested, "please do not describe it as a conflict between the old and new administrations." He added, "Former President Roh Moo-hyun stayed at the Blue House until the morning of the new president's inauguration day and then left to attend the ceremony, but that was not because he wanted to spend the last night there. Since all the belongings had been moved out and only people remained, it was quite chaotic and uncomfortable."

He plans not to engage in active politics after retirement. Regarding his life after leaving office, President Moon said, "I mentioned that I want to live a 'forgotten life' after retirement, but that does not mean I intend to live in seclusion. Rather, I mean that I do not want to be involved in active politics or live a life that attracts special attention."

Regarding his previous letter to Kim Jong-il, General Secretary of the Workers' Party of North Korea, in which he expressed his intention to "continue efforts to lay the groundwork for unification even after retirement," and the resulting expectations within political circles for a special envoy to North Korea, he said, "Please understand it as an effort to maintain peace, the atmosphere of dialogue on the Korean Peninsula, and to ensure that this continues into the next administration until the moment the next government takes office," and refrained from elaborating further.

With just over two weeks left before his retirement, requests for pardons from various sectors have been pouring in, but President Moon took a principled stance, saying, "It is not something the president can decide at will." He stated, "Pardons can conflict with judicial justice, so they should only be exercised to complement judicial justice. They can never be a presidential privilege."

He continued, "The judgment on whether pardons complement or conflict with judicial justice is entirely up to the people," adding, "The support or consensus of the people remains the standard we must follow."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

During the meeting, a question was raised about his stance on the controversial Geomsu Wanbak law in the political arena. President Moon reaffirmed his previous position, saying, "You know well that I believe it is desirable to separate investigative and prosecutorial powers," but added, "However, even if it is a desirable direction, the method and process of implementation must gain the understanding and support of the people."

Following opposition from the prosecution to the Geomsu Wanbak law, Prosecutor General Kim Oh-soo once again submitted his resignation. Minister of Justice Park Beom-gye announced that he would forward Kim's resignation to the Blue House. President Moon said, "I fully understand the internal opposition within the prosecution," and added, "Even under this agreement, the prosecution will retain direct investigative authority over corruption and economic crimes, areas where it has shown strengths, which could be an opportunity for the prosecution to focus more on what it does well."

When asked if he still feels a "debt of gratitude" toward former Minister Cho Kuk, he responded cautiously, "That is something to be said later in memoirs."

This meeting with reporters was the first in about a year since his special speech on the 4th anniversary of his inauguration last May, effectively marking his last meeting with the press as president.

With President-elect Yoon relocating the presidential office, the era of the Blue House will come to an end with President Moon as the last occupant. President Moon emphasized, "If the Blue House era is ended with a negative evaluation of its history and in the sense of 'clearing it out,' it would distort our history and deny our achievements," adding, "If we evaluate the history from President Rhee Syngman to the present comprehensively, South Korea is the most successful country after World War II."