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Moon Jae-in delivers his final dress as president from the Blue House on May 9. (provided by the Blue House)

Moon Jae-in, who finished his five-year term as president of South Korea on Monday, shared a final message appealing to incoming President Yoon Suk-yeol with a call for unity.

In a farewell speech delivered at the main building of the Blue House that day, Moon said, “The most important thing is to unite the public’s hearts.”

“When we fill the divide of conflict that deepened during the election campaign and proceed on a path toward popular unity, the Republic of Korea will proceed more vigorously on a path toward true success,” he declared.

Noting the significance of the circumstances behind his own election as president, Moon said, “When the constitutional order was damaged by a government influence-peddling situation, the South Korean people elected a new administration and set democracy right once again through the most peaceful, cultured candlelight demonstrations and through the lawful procedure of an impeachment [of former President Park Geun-hye] in accordance with the Constitution and law.”

“The Republic of Korea is now an advanced nation and a pioneering nation,” he continued.

At the same time, he said it was a “matter for solemn reflection to what extent our administration answered the calls of the candlelit squares, with their demands for a country worthy of the name.”

In particular, he mentioned the failure of the Korean Peninsula peace process to bear fruit.

“Our public built up hopes for a new era of peace and prosperity for the Korean Peninsula,” he said.

“The fact that we failed to progress any further is not solely due to a lack of commitment and effort on our part. There were also barriers that could not be surmounted by our will alone,” he noted.

He also expressed his “fervent hope that there will be a resumption of inter-Korean dialogue and continued efforts to institutionalize denuclearization and peace.”

Commenting on the COVID-19 response, he said, “In the past, we were envious of the standard of disease control and healthcare in the advanced economies, but in an actual crisis, our response ranked among the best.”

“The public, the government, and I as president all worked very hard,” he stressed.

Declaring that he was “letting go of the heavy burden of being president,” Moon said he was “very proud to have been there with our great people as part of this successful moment in the Republic of Korea’s history.”

After attending Yoon’s inauguration ceremony Tuesday, Moon plans to travel to his residence in Yangsan, South Gyeongsang Province.

By Lee Wan, staff reporter

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