Main opposition party leader Moon Jae-in on Friday vowed to visit China sometime this year during a meeting with the Chinese ambassador to Seoul, a move aimed at strengthening ties between the two countries.
The meeting between Rep. Moon of the New Politics Alliance for Democracy and Beijing’s top envoy to Seoul Qiu Guohong comes amid the domestic debate here over the U.S.’ wish to deploy the Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense system on the Korean Peninsula.
The Chinese diplomat repeated Beijing’s opposition to the U.S.’ possible deployment of the advanced missile system at Friday’s talks.
The controversy was reignited after U.S. Ambassador Mark Lippert was attacked last week by an alleged North Korea supporter. Beijing remains sternly against the deployment, which it believes could target China.
“China must play an important role in mediating inter-Korean relations,” Moon told Qiu at the National Assembly. Qui nodded in agreement before proposing that Moon visit China.
An NPAD spokesman later said details of the visit would be worked out, but that it would likely come sometime after the by-elections in late April, when four new lawmakers will be chosen.
Moon also expressed support later Friday for keeping U.S. troops in Korea even after unification of the two Koreas, at a separate meeting with The Financial Times’ chief foreign affairs columnist Gideon Rachman.
“(The U.S military’s presence) in Korea contributes to the balance of power in Northeast Asia, and continued peace in the region,” Moon said in his meeting with Rachman.
The balance of power refers to the parity of strength between two opposing sides in international relations.
“The U.S. must stay in the region until leaders (in Northeast Asia) figure out how to set up a mutual security network,” the former presidential candidate added.
Moon, who lost the 2012 presidential election to President Park Geun-hye, is projected to be the opposition’s next presidential candidate in 2017.
A Gallup Korea poll conducted from Tuesday to Thursday showed that 50 percent of the survey’s 1,005 adult respondents supported Moon over the 33 percent garnered by his potential competitor, Rep. Kim Moo-sung, the leader of President Park’s governing Saenuri Party.
The survey’s confidence level was 95 percent, with a margin of error plus or minus 3.1 percent. About 16 percent of the 6,168 adults contacted by Gallup responded to the questions.
By Jeong Hunny (hj257@heraldcorp.com)
