President Moon Jae-in conducted a cover photo shoot and a video interview with the American weekly magazine Time in the Blue House main office on the 9th, the Blue House announced on the 24th. [Image source=Yonhap News]
[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Sumi] Professor Jang Bu-seung of Kansai Gaidai University in Japan, a former South Korean diplomat, evaluated the interview article with President Moon Jae-in published in the American weekly magazine 'Time' on the 24th, saying, "It is safe to say that this article is essentially a highly critical piece." Upon closer examination, the article contains criticism of President Moon.
On the 25th, Professor Jang posted a partial translation of the article on his Facebook, stating this. He wrote, "President Moon appeared on the cover of this week's Time magazine," and added, "The Blue House uploaded this cover photo on its website, so they must be proud."
Regarding the article's content, Professor Jang explained, "In short, it says that President Moon's North Korea policy has completely failed, and moreover, other domestic policies have also failed to achieve results." He added, "If I were Suh Hoon, the former Director of the National Security Office, or Chung Eui-yong, the former Foreign Minister, it would have been difficult to hold my head high after reading this article."
He continued, "Yet they proudly posted this on the Blue House website, and supporters of President Moon are filled with pride that his face appeared in Time, a famous American magazine." He also criticized, "It reminds me of those who, just a few weeks ago, went to the G7 summit and, without making any significant contributions to the summit's content, were happy just to take photos with the G7 leaders."
Professor Jang pointed out, "Photos, symbols, or any signs do not make us a great country," and said, "There must be substance and achievements." He added, "I hope they come to their senses now."
On the 25th, Professor Jang Bu-seung, a former Korean diplomat and currently at Kansai Gaidai University in Japan, translated part of an interview article with President Moon Jae-in from the American weekly magazine 'Time' on his Facebook, commenting, "It is safe to say that this kind of article is practically a high-intensity critical piece." [Photo by Facebook capture]
He also said, "Now, the Moon Jae-in administration's negotiations with North Korea have completely failed," and "There is a limit to covering up the emptiness of the content with image manipulation." He added, "To avoid further failures and to achieve a turnaround for success, they must humbly acknowledge their failures now," and "Only then will there be some room to move forward."
Earlier, Yoon Hee-sook, a member of the People Power Party, also criticized the interview article with President Moon published in Time, saying, "The Blue House was boasting, but when I looked into the content, my face felt hot with embarrassment."
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