Cho Dae-yop, chairman of the Presidential Commission on Policy Planning, on May 7 says the two main achievements of the Moon administration have been the power of the people and the rediscovery of the government's capacity in a two-day forum on the third anniversary of the administration at The K-Hotel in Seoul's Seocho-gu District.

By Kim Young Deok and Yoon Sojung
Photos = Kim Sunjoo
Seoul | May 7, 2020

To mark the third anniversary of the Moon administration, a two-day forum was held on May 7 at The K-Hotel in Seoul's Seocho-gu District on the government's achievements and remaining tasks, especially amid the novel coronavirus outbreak (COVID-19).

Cho Dae-yop, chairman of the Presidential Commission on Policy Planning, named the most meaningful achievements of the administration as the "power of the people" and "rediscovery of the government's capacity," both of which were prominently displayed in the North Korean nuclear crisis of 2017, the trade spat with Japan and the government's response to COVID-19.

The chairman also said the administration has shown a new vision by overcoming difficulties large and small with the people. Mentioning the North Korean nuclear crisis of September 2017, he said inter-Korean relations improved thanks to the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics in February 2018 held under the theme of "peace and co-prosperity," as well as through three summits between both Koreas and two between the North and the U.S.

On trade friction with Japan, he said, "Thanks to the government's speedy and aggressive response, Korea has lowered its external dependency in the parts, materials and equipment sectors and turned the conflict into a new opportunity to strengthen competitiveness."

Turning to the pandemic, the chairman said, "Korea has entered a stable stage with a lower number of new confirmed cases."

"Backed by transparency, openness and democracy, Korea's quarantine system is becoming an international standard," he said. "Following the success of Korea's quarantine system, I hope Korea can lead the post-COVID-19 era through successfully establishing recovery systems in economy and society."

To conclude on May 8, the forum has the theme "Crisis and Opportunity in the Post-COVID-19 Era," in which participants will discuss the accomplishments and remaining tasks of the administration in sectors such as foreign affairs, economy, industry and health. It is jointly organized by the commission and the National Research Council for Economics, Humanities and Social Sciences.

kyd1991@korea.kr