MOON’S NEW YEAR’S SPEECH

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One of the biggest political hot button issues in the new year has been the possible pardoning of two convicted former presidents. In a New Year's press conference Monday, President Moon Jae-in said it's not yet the time to speak about the matter. He also said he does not believe a prosecutorial investigation and the state auditor's inspection into the closure of the Wolsong nuclear reactor,are politically motivated.

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President Moon Jae-in made clear that now is not the time to discuss pardons for Lee Myung-bak and Park Geun-hye. He said their trials have just ended, adding that the power abuse scandals caused tremendous public pain. Moon noted that in the current circumstances, the public would not accept granting pardons.

[Soundbite] PRES. MOON JAE-IN : "I don't believe voices that demand pardons while denying the ex-presidents’ past wrongs and court decisions are compatible with the public's common sense."

The president said the issue can be considered at an appropriate time but that it still required public consensus. He also seemed to accept the prosecution's investigation and the state auditor's inspection into the disputed early shutdown of the Wolsong-1 nuclear reactor. He said he does not believe such moves were politically motivated and neither should they be. Moon reaffirmed the principle of not interfering in the affairs of the prosecution and the Board of Audit and Inspection.

[Soundbite] "I take pride in the fact that the principle of not interfering with BAI audits and prosecution investigations has been thoroughly observed until now."

Such remarks are viewed as Moon sending a message to the wider ruling camp as the Democratic Party and more recently even his former chief of staff Im Jong-seok have criticized the BAI. Meanwhile, the president seemed to distance himself on the issue of the DP's decision to field candidates for the upcoming Seoul and Busan mayoral elections by revising the party's constitution that had restricted such a move. Moon simply said he respects the choice made by the party and its members. In the press conference, the president opted to seek closure on most politically sensitive matters rather than confrontation, hinting at his resolve to mainly focus on public livelihoods in his last year in office.