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South Korean President Moon Jae-in gives his celebratory address for Liberation Day at Seoul’s Dongdaemun Design Plaza on Aug. 15. (Blue House photo pool)

In his celebratory address for the 75th National Liberation Day on Aug. 15, President Moon Jae-in declared that “true liberation is when everyone is living well” and stressed that “reducing disparities and inequality is of paramount importance.” Reiterating that the biggest focus during the second half of his term will be on reinforcing the social safety net through the “Korean New Deal,” he emphasized the importance of achieving practical results through bold yet precise policy implementation.

Moon also said he was “always prepared to sit down with Japan” to resolve the issue of compensating victims of forced labor mobilization. While his statement was made on the understanding that the basic principles of respect for the South Korean Supreme Court ruling and the victims’ consent would apply, it was also significant as a non-conditional proposal for dialogue and negotiations with the Japanese government. Now it’s time for Tokyo to reply. We urge the Shinzo Abe administration to agree to dialogue without any conditions of its own so that we can put to rest the deep souring in bilateral relations.

The latest Liberation Day address drew a lot of attention as the first occasion since the general elections in April for the president to provide a condensed picture of the direction for his domestic and foreign policies over the second half of his term. In that sense, Moon can be said to have shared the direction for his future governance with relative clarity.

Making a reference to Article 10 of the South Korean Constitution and its declaration that “all citizens shall be assured human worth and dignity and have the right to pursuit of happiness,” Moon stated that achieving the spirit of that article was “his administration’s aim.” He also stressed that he had “worked hard to create a country where everyone respects an individual’s achievement through stronger foundations of freedom and equality and the social safety net.” He went on to say, “I don’t believe our administration can accomplish all of this. But I believe our society is going in that direction, and I will do my utmost to build a sure foundation.”

It was a positive sign for Moon to clearly signal that he does not intend to shift his policy focus from income-led growth and other efforts to “bridge the gaps” that he has been pursuing since the early days of his administration. Working through the social safety net to protect the many South Koreans who have been driven to the brink by the unprecedented economic crisis caused by COVID-10 is a job that the administration cannot afford to neglect. The conservative political parties and media have been denouncing the administration’s “failures” and demanding a shift in policy -- but the current shift in direction is arguably what a majority of South Koreans supported in the general election last April. Staying the course is the right thing to do.

That being said, having the right direction and a firm commitment does not ensure that a governance approach will be successful. As we’ve seen with the minimum wage confusion early on in the administration and the real estate furor more recently, we can’t lose sight of the fact that we risk alienating the public at any time when policies are not implemented in a sophisticated way, or when senior officials in the administration and ruling party become too complacent in their attitudes, words, and actions.

While a Liberation Day celebratory address may not have been the setting to bring up recent governance issues, we hope that Moon will work hard in the days ahead to communicate with the public in various ways and enlist their support behind his policy direction.

Improving relations with Japan is a task that can no longer be put off. We urge both the South Korean and Japanese governments to use Moon’s dialogue proposal as a starting point toward proactively working to improve their relationship. With the Abe administration insisting that it cannot recognize the Supreme Court’s ruling, which it views as being in violation of the two sides’ Claims Settlement Agreement in 1965, it doesn’t appear likely that Moon’s proposal will achieve any breakthroughs in the impasse between them. But as neighbors, South Korea and Japan cannot carry on with his kind of antagonism and conflict forever. We hope the Abe administration will look positively on the latest address’s focus on “non-conditional dialogue” instead of last year’s message about “overcoming Japan” -- and make the efforts to respond in kind.

Please direct comments or questions to [english@hani.co.kr]