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| President Moon Jae-in delivers a speech during a policy briefing session on the scheme to create a 6GW floating offshore wind power complex by 2030, at the New Industrial Complex for 3D Printing in Ulsan, Thursday. Yonhap |
President to deliver special speech to mark 4th anniversary in office
By Jung Da-min
With just a year left before President Moon Jae-in's term ends in May 2022, his government is facing challenges on multiple fronts including the economy and diplomacy.
Among the challenges are achieving herd immunity against the COVID-19 pandemic as soon as possible through its vaccination program, stabilizing the real estate market and reigniting Moon's now-stalemated "peace process" on the Korean Peninsula. Whether these are achieved will be a measure of the success of the administration, political watchers said Sunday, adding that this will also affect the presidential election slated for next March 9.
Moon is set to deliver a special speech to the public, Monday, the fourth anniversary of his inauguration, and is expected to address his administration's policy achievements over the past four years and plans for the remaining year of his five-year term.
Some of the expected topics for the speech and the following question and answer session include achieving herd immunity against COVID-19 by November as the government promised; boosting the virus-hit economy through its Korea New Deal project for job creation; stabilizing the real estate market through an administration-led boost in the housing supply; and how to capitalize on the upcoming South Korea-U.S. summit slated for May 21 to restart the President's Korean Peninsula peace process.
Political watchers said the Moon administration is in an unfavorable situation at this point, when it is prone to a lame-duck presidency especially after the ruling Democratic Party of Korea's (DPK) crushing defeat by the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) in the April 7 Seoul and Busan mayoral by-elections, which were seen as a barometer on public opinion for the presidential election.
The DPK's defeat in the by-elections is widely seen as a result of the ruling bloc's failures in its real estate policies as well as a land speculation scandal involving employees of the state-run Korea Land Housing Corp. (LH) and some members of the ruling bloc.
The government is also grappling with the COVID-19 vaccine issue, with many people doubting its plan of achieving herd immunity by November due to the relatively late start of its vaccination program compared to other countries, a shortage of vaccines and concerns over the safety of the one from AstraZeneca currently being administered.
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| People wait for COVID-19 vaccine shots at an inoculation center in Seoul, May 3. Yonhap |
"At a time when the presidential term will end in a year, the ruling party needs to come to the forefront in implementing state affairs while Cheong Wa Dae and the government should support it," said political commentator Park Sang-byong.
"The ruling bloc is also urged to keep its promise of achieving herd immunity by November, to regain the public's trust. If it succeeds, there is a possibility that Moon could avoid a lame-duck presidency, and this would also affect the next presidential election," Park added.
As to Moon's peace process, experts said there is little room for South Korean diplomacy, as the policies of North Korea and the United States will matter more.
Hong Min, a senior researcher at the state-run Korea Institute for National Unification, said it does appear that the policy review on the North by President Joe Biden's administration is in sync with the South Korean government. He noted that Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong said Seoul welcomed Washington's review, in a meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, May 3, during the G7 Foreign and Development Ministers Meeting in London.
But Hong said what is more important than the South Korean government's position is how the North responds to the review. He said prospects for North Korea-U.S. talks look dim as both Pyongyang and Washington have said they would respond in accordance with each other's moves, with neither making any preemptive concessions.
"Looking at a few words from Washington on its North Korea policy, there are no terms, words, or content that Pyongyang would be satisfied with. Washington has only said that it would take gradual and diplomatic steps, which is far from what Pyongyang has requested, namely the withdrawal of what it claims to be hostile policies against the reclusive regime," Hong said.
"Pyongyang has already revealed its principle of strong-against-strong and benevolence-for-benevolence. When both Pyongyang and Washington keep the position that they will wait for each other's preemptive concession, then there is the possibility for tensions to keep increasing with both opting for stronger words and actions against each other."
Hong said the government's task would be mediating between the U.S. and North Korea, while leading the U.S. to take preemptive reconciliation measures.
