Yoon's office slams ex-president's national security remarks

Politics

Published: 20 Sep. 2023, 17:10

Yoon's office slams ex-president's national security remarks

President Moon Jae-in speaks at a ceremony celebrating the fifth anniversary of the inter-Korean Pyongyang Declaration of Sept. 19, 2018, at the 63 Building in Yeouido, western Seoul, Tuesday. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

The Yoon Suk Yeol government criticized former President Moon Jae-in's recent claim that liberal administrations had a better track record with national security than conservative ones.

At a ceremony commemorating the inter-Korean agreement of Sept. 19, 2018, on Tuesday, Moon said it is "time to break away from the fabricated myth that conservative governments are 'good at security' and 'better at the economy.'"

He said that liberal presidents, including Kim Dae-jung, Roh Moo-hyun and himself, had turned in "significantly better" performances in national security and the economy.

Moon gave a welcome address at the ceremony attended by many of his key former aides at the 63 Building in Yeouido, western Seoul, marking his first official schedule in Seoul since he retired to Pyeongsan Village in Yangsan, South Gyeongsang, after leaving office in May 2022.

Since a civilian government was established in 1993 under the Kim Young-sam administration, Moon said that "economic performance was always better when inter-Korean relations were relatively peaceful than when they were not."

He expressed his "regret" that inter-Korean relations have "collapsed" since he left office, and that further progress has not been made since the 2018 Pyongyang Declaration.

Moon likewise said that the Sept. 19 inter-Korean military agreement is now the "last safety pin preventing inter-Korean military conflict," alluding to the current administration's move to scrap the deal. He noted that the Roh administration and his own were the only ones which suffered no military clashes with the North.

The event celebrated the fifth anniversary of the Pyongyang Declaration signed by Moon and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un during their third summit in September 2018 during a period of détente on the peninsula. During this summit in Pyongyang, the two sides also signed a comprehensive military agreement on Sept. 19 aimed at reducing inter-Korean border tensions, calling for the dismantling of guard posts in the demilitarized zone, a no-fly zone over parts of the military demarcation line and a gradual disarmament of the Joint Security Area.

Referring to Moon's remarks, a high-ranking presidential official told reporters in New York on Tuesday night during Yoon's trip to attend the UN General Assembly that "a situation that is outwardly peaceful as a result of subservience is not peace."

The official added, "Although there appeared to be peace and no invasions during the Moon Jae-in administration, [North Korea] eventually accelerated its nuclear weapons and missiles program." He pointed to other instances in previous liberal administrations where Pyongyang made military and nuclear advances.

"True peace is something that we build through overwhelming force, regardless of the other party's deceptions and intentions," the official said. "There is no need to use labels of right-wing or conservative, as the criteria for judgment will be shown through what the people objectively feel is a reliable, truly vibrant peace and economy."

The official added that North Korea has been "openly violating" the Sept. 19 military agreement since the inauguration of the Yoon government and has been "intentionally carrying out provocations."

He said Seoul will observe what actions Pyongyang takes and "make a judgment later if necessary, at an appropriate time."

President Yoon has previously threatened to suspend the 2018 inter-Korean military agreement if the North violates the South's territory.

Likewise, Defense Minister nominee Shin Won-sik told reporters last Friday that he is of the opinion that the Sept. 19 inter-Korean military agreement should be "abolished," but added that the Defense Ministry cannot decide on the matter alone.

Shin, a People Power Party (PPP) lawmaker and a retired Army lieutenant general, was named as Yoon's new defense minister earlier last week and is awaiting parliamentary confirmation.

Kim Ye-ryeong, a PPP spokesperson, likewise said in a statement Wednesday, "After five years of the Moon administration, if nothing else, it is very clear that the policy of submission to North Korea has failed."

Kim said that Moon's "political greed" to become a president to declare the end of the 1950-53 Korean War resulted in a "fake peace show that ruined inter-Korean relations and diplomacy with Japan and the United States."

She added that it is "irresponsible to say that peace was ruined because of the current government."

During his five-year presidency, the Moon administration favored a Korean Peninsula peace initiative favoring engagement with Pyongyang which fizzled after the collapse of denuclearization negotiations at the second summit between leader Kim and former U.S. President Donald Trump in Hanoi in February 2019.

Earlier Tuesday afternoon, Moon paid a visit to Democratic Party (DP) Lee Jae-myung, who has been hospitalized since Monday after his condition deteriorated 19 days into a hunger strike to protest the Yoon government. While Moon asked Lee to halt his hunger strike, the DP chief indicated he would continue fasting from his hospital bed.

BY SARAH KIM [kim.sarah@joongang.co.kr]