A written congratulatory speech at the Korean Peninsula Peace Forum
First 'present issue' remarks since leaving office
Former President Moon Jae In (photo) told the Yoon Seok-yeol administration, "There is no peace without dialogue," adding, "Trust will begin by keeping the promises agreed between the two Koreas." It indirectly criticized the Yoon Seok-yeol government, which is passive in improving inter-Korean relations, and urged both Koreas to implement past agreements.
In a written congratulatory speech released on the 18th, a day before the National Assembly's Fourth Anniversary of the September 19 Military Agreement, former President Moon said, "The current reality is that the wall of distrust is high and the diplomatic and security situation is not easy, but we can go on the path of peace only when we overcome the situation without pessimism." It is the first time that former President Moon has expressed his position on pending issues since his retirement.
Former President Moon said, "The July 4th Joint Statement, the North-South Basic Agreement, the June 15th Declaration, the October 4th Declaration, the Panmunjom Declaration, and the Pyongyang Joint Declaration are all historical agreements that the government should respect and implement even if it changes."
In particular, former President Moon said, "I look forward to reviving and inheriting the meaning of the Pyongyang Joint Declaration with one mind." The Pyongyang Joint Declaration is an agreement in which former President Moon and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un met in Pyongyang in September 2018 and declared an end to military hostility on the Korean Peninsula.
Former President Moon said to the Yoon Seok-yeol government, "Peace does not come on its own and does not make anyone else's behalf," adding, "We can only take a step forward if we continue to promote peace on the Korean Peninsula without wavering." Former President Moon went on to say, "North Korea should not abandon repeated agreements," adding, "When the two Koreas work together to comply with the agreement, trust can be built and a way to dialogue can be sought." (2022.09.19)
Regarding the Pyongyang Joint Declaration, former President Moon said, "We informed all sides of the beginning of the Korean Peninsula without war, and agreed on practical measures to drastically reduce military risks anywhere in the sky, land, and sea," adding, "It is very important to declare externally that the Korean Peninsula will be a 'base of peace without nuclear weapons and nuclear threat'." He then said, "Peace and denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula are a long-cherished desire that cannot be given up for a moment."