CLASHES OVER N. KOREA POLICIES

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The incumbent and previous administrations are at odds over North Korea policy. In his interview with The New York Times, the sitting president blasted his predecessor's foreign policy decisions. He said the Moon administration was obsessed with North Korea. However, former President Moon Jae-in says the new administration should implement inter-Korean agreements.

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In his interview with the New York Times published on Sunday, Yoon vowed to pursue predictability, and claimed South Korea will take a more clear position in U.S.-China relations. His remarks mean Seoul has been in an awkward position between Washington and Beijing so far. He also blasted the former administration's North Korea policies. Yoon pointed out, the Moon government was obsessed with only one friend in the classroom: North Korea. Regarding the Seoul-Washington alliance, Yoon said "it had become necessary — even inevitable — for South Korea to expand security cooperation with the U.S. and Japan as North Korea intensified its nuclear threat." When Yoon's interview was published on Sunday, former President Moon Jae-in sent his own message on North Korea. In a written statement addressing a parliamentary forum on the fourth anniversary of the September 19 military agreement slated for Monday, Moon said, "There can be no peace without dialogue, and dialogue starts with trust." The former president stressed the new administration should have proper respect for inter-Korean agreements and implement them. It's the first time Moon spoke about national issues since his retirement. The former and incumbent presidents are showing stark differences on North Korea policy. The PPP blasted Moon for inappropriate political meddling and urged him to apologize for holding inter-Korean exchanges just for show. The main opposition DP expressed regret over Yoon criticizing his predecessor's policies to cover his ignorance in foreign affairs.