Emulate Moon Jae-in’s Courage in Turning the Tables in the Game

  Emulate Moon Jae-in’s Courage in Turning the Tables in the Game

China Times Editorial (Taipei, Taiwan)

June 2, 2018

 Translation of an Excerpt

The Korean Peninsula and the Taiwan Strait have long been tinderboxes in Northeast Asia, with potential crises of hot war. However, recently twists and turns have appeared in the situations of the two. What was originally an imminent crisis on the peninsula suddenly saw rays of sunshine through the dark clouds; what had been a thawing in cross-Strait relations, however, deteriorated instead. In the former, a substantial part of the credit should be attributed to South Korea President Moon Jae-in, while in the latter, President Tsai Ying-wen should shoulder the responsibility.

In total fairness, the situation in North Korea has turned to peace from peril principally because North Korean leader Kim Jong-un wanted to use nuclear arms in exchange for a peace treaty with the United States. The role of South Korea was originally not very large, but Moon Jae-in did not want to see South Korea marginalized in the game of big powers, courageously and resolutely seizing the opportunity, creating a role for South Korea on its own initiative. When North Korea and the United States exchanged verbal attacks in confrontation, he worked hard to persuade the United States not to give up hopes for peace, and repeatedly acted as a bridge for communication between the United States and North Korea. With all efforts, he launched a diplomatic offensive, holding talks with Kim Jong-un, and expanding interchanges among the United States, North Korea, China and Japan. Because Kim Jong-un was unhappy with US Vice President Pence’s reference to the "Libya model," the "Trump-Kim Summit" faced a halt; Moon Jae-in for the second time met with Kim Jung-un, giving both sides a way out, thus resuscitating the “Trump-Kim Summit.”

Compared with Moon Jae-in, President Tsai Ing-wen is far inferior. South Korea could plainly see the reality and actively seek opportunities for peace and development for itself in the big power wrangling. If President Tsai could not shake off the hijacking of the deep Green, Taiwan’s hands and feet would be tied up by the deadlocked cross-Strait relations; the harm caused as a consequence for the survival and development of the nation could not be made up by cozying up to the United States and Japan. Moon Jae-in could resolutely seize the opportunity to create a new situation for South Korea; similarly, President Tsai could take the initiative to create opportunities for Taiwan, using a new vista and vision to galvanize a consensus in order to set up a foundation for DPP-CCP interactions with the Chinese Mainland, and salvaging the Taiwan that continuously submerged by internal and external pressures. The burden of the leadership depends on whether the leader has the courage to make the right choices for the long future of the entire nation.

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