Moon's 'Dialogue with the People'... Ruling Party "Honest Evaluation" vs Opposition "Faded Crabapple"

Moon speaks with the people after 2 years... "Wish I had tried harder on real estate"
Ruling party: "Moon comforts the people's hard times"
Opposition: "No sincere apology found"

President Moon Jae-in is answering questions from citizen panelists at the 2021 Dialogue with the People 'Back to Daily Life' held on the afternoon of the 21st at the KBS Open Hall in Yeouido, Seoul.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] With about six months left before his retirement, President Moon Jae-in held what was virtually his last 'Dialogue with the People' during his term on the 21st, drawing mixed evaluations from the ruling and opposition parties. The ruling party praised it, saying, "He sincerely evaluated his governance so far," while the opposition harshly criticized it as a "faded crabapple," stating, "There was no sincere apology for the people's suffering."

Cho Seung-rae, chief spokesperson for the Democratic Party's election campaign committee, said in a written briefing that day, "A time was created for the people and the president to meet and communicate. It was a precious occasion made possible because the people and the government united to overcome COVID-19 and took a step forward toward phased daily recovery."

He added, "The president comforted the people's difficult times, and the people encouraged the government's efforts. It was a moment to sincerely evaluate the achievements and shortcomings of the Moon Jae-in administration's governance over the past four and a half years and to discuss the elevated national prestige created by the people."

He continued, "With six months left in his term, the president listened to the public's regrets about the government and spent time pledging to work hard to make up for the shortcomings until the very end. In particular, the president expressed regret over real estate policies and pledged to continue efforts to stabilize real estate prices until the end," emphasizing this point.

Furthermore, "As the ruling party sharing responsibility for governance, the Democratic Party also feels a heavy responsibility and will push for housing price stabilization and real estate reform legislation," he added.

On the other hand, the opposition criticized President Moon for lacking a sincere apology regarding failures in real estate policy and confusion in COVID-19 quarantine measures.

Im Seung-ho, spokesperson for the People Power Party, said in a verbal comment that day, "In short, it was a 'faded crabapple' that didn't even look good," and pointed out, "A considerable amount of time was spent on Q&A related to COVID-19, but a sincere apology from President Moon for the people's suffering caused by vaccine supply disruptions and suffocating control-style quarantine measures was nowhere to be found."

Regarding President Moon's remarks that "employment, which had decreased due to COVID-19, has almost 99.9% recovered as of last month," and "real estate prices have entered a fairly stable phase," he sharply criticized, "President Moon has thoroughly ignored the people's suffering and can only be remembered as a 'Don Quixote president' lost in his own illusions."

Meanwhile, the Justice Party also expressed regret. Lee Dong-young, chief spokesperson for the Justice Party, evaluated in a written briefing, "Even when asked about measures regarding income disparity and educational gaps caused by COVID-19, as well as real estate speculation and unearned income issues, only general answers were given."

He continued, "Even though it was the last dialogue with the people at the end of the term, there was no sincere apology or responsible answer regarding the deepened inequality and unfairness issues during the five years of governance," adding, "Today, President Moon should have presented clear measures to the citizens, not just words. It is regrettable."

He also emphasized, "I hope President Moon humbly reflects on the questions and requests received during today's dialogue and, during the remaining six months of his term, at least responsibly presents measures to resolve COVID-19 inequality to the citizens and finishes his term."

Meanwhile, it has been two years since President Moon appeared live and directly responded to questions from the public, the last time being on November 19, 2019.

During the evening's KBS 'Dialogue with the People,' President Moon said regarding real estate issues, "I have apologized several times, expressing my regret. Looking back, I think we should have put more effort into the supply of real estate and housing."

He added, "However, our government had more move-in volumes and permits than any previous administration," and said, "There are also many planned supply volumes, so I believe the supply issue will be sufficiently resolved."

President Moon also said, "Thanks to that, real estate prices are entering a fairly stable phase," and "The government aims for a stable downward trend during the remaining period."