Former South Korean President Moon Jae-in's memoirs on display at the Gwanghwamun branch of Kyobo Bookstore in Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea, on May 19, 2024./News1

On the day that North Korea fired several ballistic missiles into the East Sea, former South Korean President Moon Jae-in’s memoirs were released. In them, he wrote that he regretted not being more active in mediating between the United States and North Korea to lift sanctions. For a man who risked international embarrassment by asking for the lifting of sanctions in front of European leaders who emphasized their importance, he blamed himself for not doing enough.

“If only we had put that in the communiqué,” Moon said, claiming that there was a verbal agreement at the Singapore summit to suspend North Korea’s nuclear and missile tests and joint U.S.-South Korean drills. He regretted that the North’s demand for a “both stop”—trading North Korea’s illegal provocations for South Korea’s legitimate defense exercises—was not made explicit.

“I think Kim Jong-un’s promise to denuclearize was sincere,” Moon said, noting that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un had said, “I have no intention of using nuclear weapons. I don’t want my daughter’s generation to have to live with nuclear weapons over their heads.” At the time, however, North Korea was still accelerating its nuclear and missile program. Moon also cited Kim’s statement that “we don’t have any medium- or long-range missiles.” As soon as the “denuclearization show” was over, a parade of ICBMs rolled through Kim Il-sung Square.

In Moon’s memoirs, he consistently took Kim Jong-un’s word over objective facts. Kim Jong-un’s promises to visit South Korea, set up a direct phone line, or communicate via email have yet to materialize, but Moon said he understood what was happening in the North. Anecdotes include Kim saying, “I want to console the people who are suffering from the shelling of Yeonpyeong Island,” or proposing in a letter to “discuss the rebuilding of the (bombed) inter-Korean liaison office.” He was unable to distinguish between diplomatic rhetoric and genuine intentions.

In 2018, Moon called allegations about his wife and former first lady Kim Jung-sook’s business trip to India a “malicious distortion.” However, government documents show that India originally wanted the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism to visit, not Kim. Kim flew to India on a presidential plane, visited the Taj Mahal, a popular tourist attraction, and posed for a photo with another tourist. The trip was not on the official itinerary and was omitted from the ministry’s post-trip report. Despite the allegations, Moon called it “the first solo diplomatic trip by a spouse.” Kim’s overseas trips must also be investigated.