President Moon Jae-in on Monday emphasized the importance of change, and urged political parties to move with the times.

Speaking at the weekly meeting with senior aides, Moon said that the country has undergone dramatic changes since he took office, but political parties have changed little. 

“It is regrettable that the political arena remains in the past, despite the changing world. There seems to be little difference between before and after candlelight vigils,” Moon said, referring to the protests that led to the impeachment of former President Park Geun-hye, and his subsequent election.

He went on to say that rival parties should work together, saying that ruling and opposition blocs cannot be at odds over matters of peace, referring indirectly to Liberty Korea Party’s opposition to his administration’s North Korea policies.

Moon also highlighted his administration’s efforts to right social wrongs.

He said that his administration has endeavored to “rebuild the country, and to protect the constitutional values of a democratic republic” in the past two years since he took office on May 10, 2017.

“Our achievements still have many holes. (The government) must continuously take on challenges and change to fill what we lack,” Moon said, saying that economic and political advances made over the past 70 years are incomplete despite the rapid progress.

Saying that the country must move on from the old order, Moon said that the country must become fair and transparent to achieve prosperity and peace.

Listing the administration’s economic, national security and welfare policies, he went on to urge his aides to achieve tangible results.

“The next three years start from the challenges and changes seen over the past two years. Now, practical changes that can be felt by the people must be brought,” Moon said.

“Until now, the focus was on was changing the large framework and introducing new policies. However, it is meaningless if results do not follow. Now, the policies need to reach the lives of the people, and be assessed as changing their livlihood.”

By Choi He-suk (cheesuk@heraldcorp.com)