hankyoreh

President Moon Jae-in greets Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman Bob Corker in Washington DC

During meetings with the leaders of both houses of US Congress on June 29, South Korean President Moon Jae-in highlighted the “democracy that the South Korea-US alliance had planted in South Korea” while focusing on dispelling concerns felt by some Americans about his new administration. The meetings proceeded in a combative manner as members of Congress voiced their frustration about the North Korean nuclear threat and the role of China and intimated their doubts about Moon’s policy toward North Korea.

During Moon’s meeting with the leadership of the House of Representatives, which was held at the Capitol that morning, the first salvo was fired by Speaker of the House Paul Ryan. After saying that the THAAD missile defense system was necessary for the defense of the people of both countries and was an important tool for security, Ryan asked Moon about his opinion on the issue.

“I have officially stated on several occasions that I don’t take an agreement lightly just because it was made by the previous administration. You may discard any suspicions that the new administration is taking these steps because it intends to overturn [the decision to deploy] THAAD,” Moon responded. “Since South Korea and the US are both democratic states, democratic and procedural legitimacy are both essential. And because of the candlelight revolution, the demand for democracy [in South Korea] is stronger than ever before.” Members of Congress were reportedly satisfied with Moon’s answer.

During a subsequent meeting with the leadership of the Senate, Moon expressed his gratitude for the US. “We overcame [the challenge of impeachment] thanks to the democracy that the South Korea-US alliance had planted in South Korea, giving birth to a new country. I think that South Korea’s candlelight revolution represented the blossoming of the democracy that the US brought to South Korea,” he said. “THAAD is a defensive measures that is necessary because of North Korean provocations, so the most important thing is to find a fundamental solution to the North Korean nuclear issue.” This can be interpreted as meaning that the need to deploy THAAD will disappear once the North Korean nuclear issue nears a solution.

During these meetings, Moon’s solution to the North Korean issue and his policy toward North Korea were also major items of interest. “Preventing North Korea from advancing its nuclear weapons and missile programs and ultimately bringing about the complete dismantling of those programs is the shared goal of South Korea and the US. Only a strong South Korea-US alliance can make that possible,” Moon said. When members of Congress played up the argument that China is not doing enough to rein in North Korea, Moon said, “I think there’s room for China to play a bigger role. I’ll discuss that when I meet with President Xi Jinping.”

“The Kaesong Industrial Complex and tourism to Mt. Keumgang were also effective at teaching North Koreans that the market economy and South Korea’s system are superior,” Moon went on to say, though he added that “these are only things that can be discussed when we reach the point of serious dialogue about shutting down North Korea’s nuclear program.”

“These are issues that would require close discussion with the US inside the framework of international cooperation,” Moon also emphasized. These responses were aimed at suspicions that Moon, who is regarded in the international community as an heir to the Sunshine Policy, could sow chaos in the international community’s sanctions against North Korea if he moves too quickly to improve inter-Korean relations. Moon’s message seems to have been that he is leaving open the possibility of reopening the Kaesong Complex and resuming tours to Mt. Kumgang if serious dialogue resumes, while also indicating that he will adequately discuss these issues with the US.

Moon also underscored the importance of the South Korea-US alliance. “Over the past 60 years, the South Korea-US alliance has prevented war on the Korean Peninsula and has played an important role in peace and stability in Northeast Asia. I hope that this will be an opportunity for it to become not just a military and economic alliance but also a great alliance that will bring about permanent peace,” he said.

By Kim Ji-eun, staff reporter

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