Presidential Office on Moon's 'Reconsideration of Unification Discourse': "Lobbying the US Saying the War Is Over in Words Only"

"Yoon's Unification Policy Gains International Support"
"Moon's Preparation for Physical Response to North Korea Is Inadequate"
"'Acceptance of Two States' Is 'Unconstitutional'"

On the afternoon of the 19th, former President Moon Jae-in is speaking at the '6th Anniversary Ceremony of the September 19 Pyongyang Joint Declaration' held at the Kim Dae-jung Convention Center Multipurpose Hall in Seo-gu, Gwangju.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

The Presidential Office criticized former President Moon Jae-in's remarks that the Yoon Suk-yeol administration should completely reconsider the existing unification discourse, saying, "(The Moon administration) merely lobbied the United States and the world by saying 'the war is over, peace has come' in words only."

A Presidential Office official said on the 19th (local time) at the press center in Prague, Czech Republic, "The international community, including the Czech Republic, supports the peaceful liberal democratic unification that the Yoon Suk-yeol administration is pursuing," adding this.

The official said, "Looking back at the previous administration, it seems they persistently advocated for a declaration to end the war," and "their preparations for any physical countermeasures against North Korea’s power appeared to be inadequate."

He continued, "they did not properly equip the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system, and left civic groups that illegally blocked the THAAD base unattended for several years," adding, "Also, they spent five years largely indifferent to the extended deterrence between South Korea and the U.S., and if their peace theory is to maintain peace only through dialogue with North Korea in such a manner, it lacks realism."

Regarding former Chief Presidential Secretary Lim Jong-seok, who served under the Moon administration, saying "Let's not unify but accept the reality of 'two states,'" the official said, "Pursuing unification based on liberal democracy is the mandate and duty of the Constitution of the Republic of Korea, and if there is no such will, it is an unconstitutional idea."

The Presidential Office official explained, "'Some say we should also give up on unification, but has North Korea really given up on unification?'" adding, "The reason North Korea is abandoning unification discourse and advocating for two states is because of internal difficulties and a loss of confidence in their idea of unification, not because they have given up on unification."

He also emphasized, "North Korea emphasizes unification when it is advantageous, but when it is disadvantageous, it returns to a war of attrition and remains relatively quiet," adding, "North Korea, which has written in its constitution that it will take over South Korea by force if necessary through nuclear missiles, is the one advocating for absorption unification, not us."

Earlier, former President Moon criticized at the 6th anniversary ceremony of the September 19 Joint Declaration held by the '2024 Korean Peninsula Peace Joint Project Promotion Committee' at the Kim Dae-jung Convention Center in Gwangju, saying, "This (reconsideration of peace and unification discourse) is something the government of the Republic of Korea should take the lead on," but "the current government seems to have neither the will nor the capability to do so."

He added, "As North Korea has defined inter-Korean relations as 'hostile two states,' a complete reconsideration of the existing peace and unification discourse is necessary."