It's been a whirlwind year for South Korea.
A shocking scandal that led to a historic presidential impeachment...
followed by an snap election to pick a leader that the people have faith will help regain
trust by getting the job done at the top in a transparent fashion.
Much of the focus was on normalizing Seoul's domestic and international state affairs from
then on.
Here's Hwang Hojun with the first of our week-long year-end special series.
(STANDUP) "This is where it all began.
Around a year ago, a series of mass candlelight protests took place, here at Gwanghwamun square.
People cried out for change,... calling for the resignation of the then President Park
Geun-hye over her corruption charges.
And through the so-called 'Candlelight Revolution',... which the international community called a
model of peaceful exercise of democratic participation,... came the birth of a new administration."
Park's presidency was terminated as the Constitutional Court upheld the Parliament's impeachment
vote in a unanimous decision.
And 62 days later, the liberal leader was elected.
(Korean) "Today, May 10th, 2017, the Republic of Korea
begins again.
A great history of building a decent nation begins."
(2017 5 10 . .)
President Moon didn't have the luxury of a transition team, and was sworn into office
just hours after the election results were announced,... to face the overwhelming challenge
and pressure of unifying a divided nation and normalizing state affairs.
The Moon administration came up with five key policy goals:...
a government in the hands of the people, an economy that guarantees a better life for
all, a country that takes care of its people, balanced development across regions, and a
peaceful and prosperous Korean peninsula.
Displaying his intention to be a people-centered President, he pushed for a supplementary budget
worth about 9-point-8 billion dollars to create quality jobs and improve job market conditions.
(2017.6.12 20 pkg) (KOREAN)
"I want you to focus on the urgency and the need for a supplementary budget for jobs."
( )
The President invited the families of the victims of the Sewol-ho ferry disaster to
the Blue House and offered his personal apologies to them on behalf of the government.
He also invited leaders of the ruling and opposition parties to the Blue House, in the
spirit of bipartisanship, and to seek cooperation among the government and the ruling and opposition
parties.
On a national level, the administration has pushed to root out corruption in the defense
industry, as well as revamp the intelligence agency and the prosecution, both of which
have long been accused of political bias.
The Blue House also enforced strict moral codes when nominating new top officials; any
candidates who had dodged military service, evaded taxes, made speculative property trades,
falsely reported their address, plagiarized their thesis, committed sex crimes, or held
prior DUIs would be deemed unfit.
For the first 100 days, President Moon's approval rating hovered around 80 percent, and it has
been in the high sixties in recent weeks.
There were, however, obstacles along the way.
Even with the strict moral code, a handful of President Moon's nominees for high governmental
positions failed to get Parliament's endorsement,... resulting in President Moon completing his
cabinet one-hundred-and-95 days after the launch of his administration.
Provocations from North Korea have put another damper on state affairs.
Pyongyang has conducted a total of eleven missile launches and its largest nuclear test
yet since President Moon entered office.
The South Korean President condemned North Korea for its continuing threats, but also
urged the regime to come to the table for dialogue.
Seoul's pursuit of a peaceful resolution to the issue of North Korea was reflected through
President Moon visiting seven countries, hosting three state visits, and attending some 40
bilateral summit talks and several multilateral meetings during his short time as President.
2017.9.22 , 24 pkg (Korean)
"In that respect, the situation surrounding the North Korean nuclear issue needs to be
stably managed so that tensions will not become overly intensified or accidental military
clashes will not destroy peace."
( .)
To realize the government's ultimate goal -- a peaceful and prosperous Peninsula, the
President said a firm basis for bilateral and multilateral cooperation is necessary.
So, the Moon administration, while still putting great significance on its relations with the
four key powers -- the U.S., China, Japan, and Russia --, has also sought to expand South
Korea's diplomatic horizon, engaging with Eurasia and Southeast Asia, through what President
Moon calls the New Northern and New Southern Policies.
Coming back from his latest state visit to China, President Moon pledged to continue
to practice a pragmatic and balanced diplomacy while prioritizing South Korea's national
interest and its people.
(STANDUP) Eventful would be an understatement of what
2017 was like for the President and his administration.
Going into the New Year, President Moon will have to show that his efforts so far to bring
together a divided nation and establish a peaceful and prosperous Peninsula are not
just temporary.
Hwang Hojun, Arirang News.