'Typing Letter' Controversy: Will President Moon Respond This Time in His Own Hand?

청 "Normal diplomatic letters also typed... Content is important"

President Moon Jae-in is speaking on the phone with Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, President of Kazakhstan, at the Blue House on the afternoon of the 22nd.

The high school son of Mr. A, a Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries official who was shot dead by North Korean soldiers in the West Sea, has sent a handwritten letter to President Moon Jae-in again. Attention is focused on whether President Moon will send another reply, overcoming controversies such as the 'typed letter' and 'lack of sincerity' in the first reply.

In this letter, Mr. A's son expressed gratitude to President Moon, saying, "Thank you very much for replying despite your busy schedule," and added, "I have read it several times, and although the current situation is very heartbreaking, I have decided to regain strength from your sincere words of comfort." He also stated, "I hope the pain my family is going through will end soon, and I will keep your words in my heart, trust that promise, and wait," and "I will continue to prepare diligently for the civil service exam to achieve my dreams, as I have done so far."

The two sides began direct communication through letters on the 8th. Mr. A's older brother, Lee Rae-jin (55), met with Ko Young-ho, an administrative officer of the Blue House's Office of Civil Society, in front of the Blue House fountain and delivered the letter written by Mr. A's high school son. President Moon sent a reply three days later, on the 12th, offering consolation by saying, "We share the same mind that the truth must be revealed, those responsible must be held accountable, and if there has been any injustice, honor must be restored," and "I ask you to wait for the Coast Guard's investigation and search results."

Lee Rae-jin, the brother of the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries official who went missing and was shot by North Korean soldiers in the northern West Sea near Soyeonpyeongdo, is revealing a letter he received from President Moon Jae-in during a press conference held in front of the Korea Coast Guard in Yeonsu-gu, Incheon, on the afternoon of the 14th.

However, on the 13th, Mr. Lee sparked controversy by revealing in media interviews that "the reply was not handwritten but typed on a computer, and the signature was stamped by a machine." The opposition parties particularly argued that President Moon's reply lacked sincerity because it was not handwritten. The People Power Party evaluated in a spokesperson's statement, "The typed letter was nothing more than a dry formality without a handwritten signature."

Blue House spokesperson Kang Min-seok explained, "The president first writes directly on a memo pad by hand, then the secretariat types it and applies an electronic signature," adding, "This is the same for letters from foreign heads of state. They are typed and electronically signed." A key Blue House official said, "Isn't the 'content' of the letter what really matters? I don't think the envelope or handwriting is important," but this only fueled the controversy further.

Ahn Cheol-soo, leader of the People’s Party, criticized the Blue House's response that "letters between heads of state are also typed," saying, "It was sheer coldness with no respect for human beings, no consolation for the bereaved families, and no empathy for their pain." Voices also emerged questioning why at least a handwritten signature could not have been provided, even if the letter content was typed.

However, even if President Moon sends another reply this time, the possibility of a handwritten letter being delivered is considered low. According to the Blue House announcement, it is standard practice for presidential letters, including those to heads of state, to be typed and delivered with electronic signatures. Although there was a precedent in 2017, shortly after inauguration, when the president exchanged messages with foreign leaders that included handwritten signatures, this was before the current electronic signature system was established.