Presidential pardon for two imprisoned presidents Lee Myung-bak and Park Geun-hye may have to be considered in some time, given their age, but only when it has the backing of the majority people, President Moon Jae-in said on Monday, concluding the dispute that has emerged as a key issue ahead of the key April by-elections for Seoul and Busan mayoral posts.

“It is a great misfortune for the nation to have two former presidents imprisoned,” Moon said, during a two-hour livestreamed New Year’s press conference taking questions virtually from reporters of domestic and foreign media institutions in casual wear or from their homes. Although he agrees to the reasoning for their pardon on grounds of their fragile health and national unity, the timing is not right as the court only finalized the guilty rulings with heavy sentence to reflect the gravity of their crimes.

“A deep thought should be given when appropriate time comes, but that also, should be based on public consensus” as without it, the society could fall into deeper division not unity, he said.

The remarks were made after Representative Lee Nak-yon, head of the ruling Democratic Party, raised the idea of granting pardons for two former presidents to achieve national unity.

On the Covid-19 vaccination front, Moon reassured safety of the vaccines, saying that the local health authority will re-evaluate them and only those approved by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety will be inoculated to the people.

He reiterated confidence that the Korean economy would be able to return to pre-Covid-19 growth levels within the first half and overcome virus crisis within the year.

Moon said that Korea plans to complete the first round of vaccinations by September and second round in the fourth quarter to nearly achieve herd immunity in November.

On the diplomacy front, Moon said the launch of the new U.S. administration under Joe Biden will provide a turning point for a new beginning in dialogues between the United States and North Korea and the two Koreas.

He hopes to hold summit talk with his new U.S. counterpart Biden as soon as possible and put up efforts to achieve breakthrough and follow-ups on the agreements made earlier between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and outgoing president Donald Trump before Moon’s own term ends in spring next year.

Moon also said he is willing to meet with North Korean leader Kim “whenever” and “wherever” to build trust, expressing regret over further progress after the Panmunjom Declaration for Peace, Prosperity, and Reunification of the Korean Peninsula adopted in 2018 and the Pyongyang Joint Declaration in 2018.

On issues with Japan, Moon said history issues must be dealt case by case and separated with ongoing and future-orientated relationship. He hopes to find common grounds with Tokyo and persuade survivors to settle the past issues before domestic court orders for asset seizure are acted out.

By Lee Eun-joo

[ⓒ Pulse by Maeil Business Newspaper & mk.co.kr, All rights reserved]