"To ensure there is never again war on the Korean Peninsula"… Will it convey a peace message?

Former President Moon Jae-in, living in Pyeonsan Village, Yangsan, Gyeongnam, will head to Seoul on the 25th.

This is essentially his first public political schedule after retirement, and it will be his visit to Seoul for the first time in nearly two years since the 2023 9·19 Pyongyang Joint Declaration's 5th anniversary event.

On the 16th, Money Today reported that former President Moon is scheduled to attend the '4·27 Panmunjom Declaration' 7th anniversary ceremony in person at the National Assembly Library's main auditorium and deliver a commemorative speech.

Political circles are paying close attention to what message he will convey regarding Korean Peninsula policies as the early presidential election approaches on June 3.

The ceremony is organized by the policy forum 'Sari Jae' (四宜齋) with co-hosts including the Kim Dae-jung Foundation, Roh Moo-hyun Foundation, Forum Sari Jae, and the Korea Peace Forum.

The event will feature congratulatory speeches from Park Chan-dae, the floor leader of the Democratic Party, and Kim Seon-min, acting representative of the Justice Party. National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-sik will only deliver his congratulatory message in writing due to an overseas trip.

"We cannot continue the current hostility between North and South"… Political circles take note

On April 27, 2018, then-President Moon Jae-in and Chairman Kim Jong-un held a summit at the Peace House in Panmunjom and announced a joint declaration stating, "There will be no more war on the Korean Peninsula." In September of the same year, they accelerated cooperation by establishing a joint liaison office in Gaeseong.

However, in June 2020, North Korea blew up the inter-Korean liaison office, citing the distribution of anti-North leaflets by a defector group, marking the first significant rupture in inter-Korean relations since the launch of the Yoon Suk-yeol government.

A representative from Forum Sari Jae told a media outlet, "Under the Yoon Suk-yeol administration, inter-Korean relations have completely turned hostile," and added, "We cannot drag on this situation indefinitely. There is a high possibility that former President Moon will express his views on peace and North Korea policies in his commemorative speech."

Meanwhile, there is growing interest in whether Democratic Party presidential primary candidates Lee Jae-myung, Kim Kyung-soo, and Kim Dong-yeon will attend the event. The presence of these individuals could change the political interpretation of former President Moon's message, making the commemorative speech's content especially noteworthy.

Image source: Former President Moon Jae-in / News1, News1, News1