South Korean President Moon Jae-in delivered a speech on May 10 to mark his fourth year in office. Although it was called a “special address,” the president, as usual, almost apologetically focused on the nation’s economic difficulties and the government's poor handling of COVID-19 pandemic.
On his foreign policy, Mr. Moon discussed North Korea and the United States, climate change and South Korean cultural exports and the growing worldwide popularity of “K-pop, K-beauty, K-food, and K-content.” There was no mention, however, about the troubles plaguing Japan-South Korea relations. This might explain why Japan's mainstream media outlets hardly focused on Mr. Moon’s speech.
Only The Asahi Shimbun published an editorial on Moon's address. It said, “We hope President Moon Jae-in will break the deadlock in a responsible manner. He must show his action from a broader perspective. What about a Japan-South Korea summit meeting during the G7 summit to be held in the United Kingdom this June?”