The two main political parties at the National Assembly had opposing reactions to President Moon Jae-in’s special address on Monday that marked the fourth anniversary of his five-year term. 

The ruling Democratic Party’s(DP) chief spokesperson Koh Yong-jin told reporters that the president showed confidence in overcoming national challenges and resolving the North Korean nuclear issue.

Koh added that Moon and the ruling party are on the same page, even regarding the goal to develop South Korea into a global hub for vaccine production.

Meanwhile, the main opposition People Power Party(PPP) criticized Moon's speech as being far removed from public perception and reality.

PPP spokesman Bae June-young called the disparity in perception unbelievable and no soul searching, which the public desired to see from the commander-in-chief, could be found in the special address.

Bae said vaccine delays and the employment crisis fueled by income-led growth policies were due to the government's stubbornness, but unfortunately, it appears that it doesn’t intend to fix those policy failures.