Anchor: President Moon Jae-in's chief of staff, security adviser and policy chief held their first joint press conference on Sunday, marking the halfway point of Moon's five-year presidency. While evaluating the first two-and-a-half years as a "big transition," the trio presented their plans for the latter half of the administration.
Celina Yoon has more.
Report: Three senior Moon Jae-in administration officials met with reporters over the weekend to mark the halfway point of President Moon’s five-year term.
Chief of Staff Noh Young-min, National Security Adviser Chung Eui-yong and policy head Kim Sang-jo appeared together for their first joint press conference on Sunday.
Noh said that while the past two-and-a-half years have been a time of significant transition that “changed the fundamentals” of the country, South Korea should now make a leap forward toward a new country.
[Sound bite: Presidential Chief of Staff Noh Young-min (Korean)]
"If the first half of the Moon Jae-in government were a time of transition that changed the fundamentals of [the country,] the latter half ... should be the time to make a leap towards a new [country] based on the power of that transition. We are aware that we will be evaluated by our achievements. We will make our best efforts so that the Moon Jae-in administration's policies can change people's daily lives, including ... studying, child-rearing and work.”
Noh also hinted that there could be a Cabinet and presidential office reshuffle around the end of the year or early next year following parliamentary approval of the government’s 2020 budget plan.
Regarding the general elections next April, the chief of staff said the administration will allow Cabinet ministers and senior presidential officials to run for elected office if the ruling Democratic Party makes the request and the officials agree to do so.
Chung, meanwhile, made it clear that the General Security of Military Information Agreement(GSOMIA), an intel-sharing pact with Japan, will not be extended unless Japan withdraws its export restrictions against Seoul and normalizes ties.
While the U.S. is strongly urging South Korea to extend GSOMIA, the presidential National Security Office chief said that the issue is between South Korea and Japan and is not related to the South Korea-U.S. alliance.
Regarding denuclearization talks with North Korea, he said that the administration takes seriously North Korea’s end-of-year deadline for talks and that the presidential office is preparing contingency plans.
[Sound bite: Presidential National Security Office chief Chung Eui-yong (Korean)]
"We will pursue the Korean Peninsula peace process without interruption. We will especially make efforts not to return to the situation seen prior to 2017 and propel an early and meaningful advancement of denuclearization negotiations. We will strengthen the South Korea-U.S. alliance and seek practical ways to advance substantive cooperation between the South and North."
While citing the job market as a sore point of the administration, policy chief Kim said that the income-led growth policy and other major economic initiatives of the Moon administration will continue.
Celina Yoon, KBS World Radio News.