President Moon's 4th Anniversary Inaugural Special Address... Emphasizing the Importance of Jobs and the Challenge of Overcoming COVID-19
[Asia Economy Reporter Ryu Jeong-min] "It is time to think about wrapping up. However, I feel that the remaining one year is more important than any of the past four years."
In President Moon Jae-in’s 4th anniversary ‘special address’ delivered live on TV from the Blue House on the morning of the 10th, there is a reflection of the reality related to the emergency situation. As the global COVID-19 crisis has continued for one year and three months, the focus of state affairs so far and going forward inevitably remains on quarantine measures.
In particular, the core keyword of President Moon’s state affairs vision is the ‘jobs’ issue, which was directly hit by COVID-19. The reason President Moon emphasized prioritizing jobs until the end of his term is that both economic recovery and resolving polarization are related to the keyword of jobs.
President Moon stated, "Creating a new future amid the crisis is the remaining task of our government," and pledged, "I will do my best to create even one more job." It is noteworthy that economic sentiment has entered a recovery phase.
President Moon said, "I am very fortunate to be able to report to the people that our economy has recovered faster than any country in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), already reaching pre-COVID crisis levels in the first quarter."
The problem lies in the gap between the Blue House’s diagnosis and reality. The approval rating for President Moon’s job performance has dropped to half of what it was a year ago. According to Gallup Korea’s public opinion survey results around the 4th anniversary of past presidents’ inaugurations, President Moon showed a 34% approval rating.
This is similar to former President Kim Dae-jung’s 33%, higher than former Presidents Roh Moo-hyun (16%) and Lee Myung-bak (24%). However, President Moon’s disapproval rating stands at 58%, close to former President Lee’s 60%. This indicates a deeply entrenched political anti-faction.
Some consolation can be found in the recent signs of a rebound in approval ratings in several polls. However, there remains a significant gap compared to the Blue House’s expectations.
The reason past presidents have struggled to regain momentum in state affairs after their 4th anniversary is not unrelated to the special circumstances of the presidential election season. The ruling party inevitably focuses on the ‘public’s expectations’ during the period leading up to important elections, and as the voices of the National Assembly’s political circles grow louder, the possibility of clashes with the Blue House also increases.
In particular, as the president’s retirement approaches and the ruling party’s next presidential candidate takes shape, the president’s control over state affairs inevitably weakens. The greater the gap between the ruling party’s next presidential candidate’s vision for state affairs and the Blue House’s perception, the greater the discord within the ruling party. If the Blue House is careful to avoid controversy over election interference, political risks are mitigated.
It is noteworthy that among the ruling party’s presidential candidates, there is no ‘pro-Moon Jae-in (Chin-Moon)’ key figure likely to stir up so-called ‘Moon’s heart (Munshim)’ controversy. The general view is that, given President Moon’s style, he is likely to maintain a strictly neutral political stance in the ruling party’s presidential race. What President Moon revealed in his 4th anniversary speech aligns with this analysis.
President Moon pledged, "I will approach this with the attitude that I can determine the fate of the Republic of Korea. Together with the great people who united and advanced despite countless crises, I will move forward proudly," adding, "I will leave all evaluations to the people and history and devote myself until the very end."
Experts point out that for a president approaching the end of his term, the remaining one year should be used to draft a blueprint based on reviewing and reflecting on major issues such as politics, economy, and diplomacy. Professor Lee Jun-han of the Department of Political Science and Diplomacy at Incheon National University urged, "Since this government started with the Candlelight Movement, if there are parts in personnel, communication, and reform that do not meet the public’s expectations, they should be reflected upon and boldly corrected to finish well."
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