Separating the wheat from the chaff

Chung Jae-hong
The author is an international, diplomatic and security news editor of the JoongAng Ilbo.

Former President Moon Jae-in recently published a memoir titled “From the Periphery to the Center.” In the preface, former President Moon wrote that he wanted to discuss the plans for promoting the Korean Peninsula peace process during his administration and his mindset on handling foreign, defense, veterans and defense policies.

The memoir faced backlash from the current government, governing party and conservatives. Former President Moon said that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un repeatedly stressed his will for denuclearization and said he had no intention to use nuclear weapons, claiming that they were solely intended to ensure North Korea’s safety. Moon may be criticized as a naive leader for believing Kim’s words and defending the North’s position over the United States, an ally, in denuclearization negotiations. Unification Minister Kim Young-ho pointed out, “North Korea has the ability to threaten us by developing nuclear weapons and missiles. If we focus only on the North’s intentions while ignoring those capabilities, the South may misjudge the situation.”

In the past, North Korea has secretly started developing nukes even during denuclearization negotiations. Pyongyang uses its nuclear program as a “secret weapon” to maintain its system. It is unrealistic to expect North Korea to exchange its nuclear program for eased international sanctions when it did not give it up even when many people were starving to death during the “Arduous March.”

On Japan’s attitude on the forced labor issue, former President Moon criticized the country as “narrow-minded” and “a falling country.” He had confronted Japan on this issue and must have been dissatisfied by former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s attitude of not conceding even a bit. But it is excessive to criticize Japan, one axis of the Korea-U.S.-Japan cooperation in pressuring North Korea. After the Yoon Suk Yeol administration presented “third-party compensation” as a solution to the forced labor to improve Korea-Japan relations, Moon condemned it as “nothing but surrender.”

During the Moon administration, the bilateral relations were at their lowest. When Japan imposed export restrictions on Korea in July 2019 as a de facto retaliatory measure for the ruling on compensation for the forced labor, the Moon administration decided to scrap the Korea-Japan General Security of Military Information Agreement in August and notified Tokyo of the decision. This aggravated the relationship with the United States. From Washington’s standpoint, the deterioration of relations between Korea and Japan — two key East Asian allies — didn’t help it rally support from allies to keep China in check. The aggravation of relations with Japan negatively affected the Korea-U.S. alliance and Seoul’s foreign relations. Former President Moon may be criticized for neglecting international reality by disparaging the enhancement of Korea-Japan relations, which the Yoon administration hails as an achievement. An official of the current presidential office refuted, “The past two years of the Yoon Suk Yeol government have been a process of normalizing the abnormalities of the Moon Jae-in government.”

Another source from the presidential office said, “I didn’t read the book as I didn’t think it was necessary.” It is lazy to think it is unnecessary. The memoir has considerable parts that the current administration should listen to carefully. In an interview with Reuters last April, President Yoon said he was “absolutely against changing the status quo in the Taiwan Strait by force.” After the remark was reported, China strongly protested, and the Korea-China relationship froze. On this, the former president said that it is possible to use diplomatic expressions that consider both the United States and China, and it was not wise in terms of diplomacy. He is right. For Korea, China is an important country for economy and peace in the Korean Peninsula. It is desirable to be careful when mentioning the Taiwan issue, to which China responds sensitively, and use diplomatic rhetoric. It would be better for the president himself to recognize the impact of the remark and refrain from rash statements. But even if he made such careless comments, his aides should have handled the situation more adeptly.

Former President Moon is also right about keeping a balanced position on diplomacy with North Korea, China and Russia in addition to the relationship with America and Japan. While the Yoon administration only focuses on diplomacy with Washington and Tokyo, relations with Pyongyang, Beijing and Moscow have deteriorated significantly. This has aggravated the peace on the Korean Peninsula and weakened Korea’s diplomatic leverage. The Yoon administration needs to start to restore relations with North Korea, China and Russia.

The memoir has many phrases on how the Moon administration produced the best outcome in balanced diplomacy. But it is a meaningful resource to learn how the former president handled and solved foreign and security issues. I hope the Yoon administration uses the memoir to reflect on its own foreign policy and refine foreign strategy.