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South Korean President Moon Jae-in is featured on the cover of the July edition of the Asia issue of Time Magazine.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in told American news magazine Time that he doesn’t have much time left to promote the cause of peace on the Korean Peninsula.

“The peace we have right now is a very fragile one; it can be shaken at any time,” Moon told the magazine in a video interview.

Moon is making various overtures to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, such as by offering assistance with COVID-19 vaccination. But with these comments, he seemed to be expressing his concern that the danger of war could return after his presidency ends in less than a year.

“That might, after all, be Moon’s true legacy — the grim realization that if he couldn’t fix things, perhaps nobody can,” Time said.

Moon’s previous interview with Time took place four years ago, in May 2017. The title that appeared on that earlier cover was “The Negotiator,” but the title on the cover released online on June 24 was “Final Offer.”

Time quoted Moon as saying that a “cycle of denuclearization and sanctions relief” is needed to bring North Korea’s nuclear warheads and intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) onto the agenda of talks with the US. In short, Moon emphasized a virtuous cycle in which sanctions relief would push forward the negotiations rather than a vicious cycle caused by those sanctions.

Moon reiterated that Kim, the North Korean leader, had seriously told him that “he wants to pass down a better future for his children, and that he did not want them to carry the burden of nuclear weapons.”

Moon told Time about his visit to the Rungrado May Day Stadium in Pyongyang on Sept. 19, 2018. Moon recounted how the “eyes and attitudes” of the 150,000 North Koreans in the stadium showed him how they “strongly aspire for peace.”

“I could see for myself that North Korea has completely changed [. . .] and is doing everything possible to develop,” Moon added.

Asked by Time to assess Kim’s character, Moon said he’s “very honest [and] very enthusiastic [. . .] with strong determination [and] a good idea of what is going on around the world.”

As he attempts to reach out to North Korea, Moon also emphasized that the US and China, the two superpowers that overshadow Northeast Asia, are sympathetic to the Korean Peninsula peace process.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in talks to a reporter from Time Magazine via teleconference at the Blue House on June 9. (provided by the Blue House)

Moon told Time that US President Joe Biden’s “support for inter-Korean dialogue, engagement and cooperation” was evident. During the two leaders’ summit in May, Moon convinced Biden to include a phrase about supporting South Korea’s efforts to improve inter-Korean relations in their joint statement.

“While Moon was vigilant in our interview not to criticize Trump, he was full of praise for Biden,” Time said.

Moon was quoted as saying that China “is also on the same page when it comes to denuclearization.”

In the same article, Time observed that the Korean Peninsula peace process hasn’t been going smoothly. The news magazine presented the position of “many North Korea watchers,” who regard “Moon’s steadfast defense of Kim [as] verging on delusional.”

“According to one formerly high-ranking North Korean defector based in Seoul, Kim felt utterly betrayed by Moon for siding with the US after Hanoi, as well as by his purchase of 40 US stealth fighter jets, and sees little point in negotiating with an administration on its last legs,” Time said.

Time also presented the stance of American hardliners, including Gen. Vincent Brooks, former commander of US Forces Korea, who said it “would be a mistake” if sanctions are eased at the outset of the negotiations.

“Biden has more urgent issues [than North Korea] crowding his in tray: the pandemic, global warming and, crucially, China’s rise,” Time noted.

By Lee Wan, staff reporter

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