Moon focuses on fairness, reform in Assembly address
President explains highlights of next year’s state budget
President Moo Jae-in said Tuesday that he will focus strongly on promoting fairness in Korean society and other reform initiatives in key sectors during the remainder of his presidency, which marks its halfway point Nov. 10.
In a speech to the National Assembly, Moon also mentioned keywords such as “innovation,” “tolerance” and “peace,” although his core message centered on increasing fairness in society as he asked lawmakers for their cooperation in passing various reforms. This was his first public speech since the Cho Kuk scandal, and Moon used the word “fairness” 27 times, reflecting his determination to address the mounting calls for social justice in the wake of the corruption scandal involving his former aide and justice minister.
“Fairness is the foundation that enables innovation, tolerance and peace. We need to establish fairness in a new way, not just in the economy, but also in society, education and culture in general,” Moon said. “Now, we must prepare for the remaining two years of our administration. I believe that a country where everyone can live well together is the path we must take by promoting innovation, tolerance, fairness and a peace economy.”
He renewed his pledge to eradicate ill practices that have hampered a thorough and fair investigation into corruption allegations against ranking officials, which has undermined the public’s trust in the country’s judicial system. He reiterated his push for establishing an investigative body, independent of the prosecution and police, to handle allegations of wrongdoing by high-level public officials. The bill for establishing the agency has emerged as a key point of contention among the political parties following Cho’s abrupt resignation earlier this month. Moon criticized the opposition for its heated protests against the bill.
“There are some diverging opinions about the necessity of the agency. But I want to ask if there is an alternative. The agency has a very significant meaning in that it can look into corruption cases involving the President and presidential family members and acquaintances,” Moon said. He added that the corruption case of the previous administration would not have been possible had there been a more thorough system of inspection.
“The agency will instill a stronger sense of self-restraint within the public sector, thereby promoting its integrity.”
Moon has faced criticism for not listening to the voices of the opposition and the people, particularly at the beginning of the Cho scandal following his controversial nomination as justice minister in August. Moon said he will reflect on himself and listen to those who have differing opinions. “I believe that politicians should always be mindful of the people. I will listen more carefully to different opinions. I want to hear the people’s voice more, and work more closely with the National Assembly,” Moon said.
The President also used the word “economy” 29 times, reflecting his focus on reviving the economy ahead of the 2020 general election.
This was Moon’s fourth speech to the Assembly on government spending, and he explained the salient points of the government’s 513.5 trillion won ($438.5 billion) budget for 2020, which is up 9.3 percent from this year. In particular, Seoul will increase defense spending to more than 50 trillion won ($42 billion) next year, a 7 percent hike.
The main opposition Liberty Korea Party said the speech failed to address the shortcomings of Moon’s handling of state affairs so far. “In a nutshell, the speech was hopeless,” Chairman Hwang Kyo-ahn said during a party meeting.