Current Korea

Korea¡¯s New Year Goals:
Recovery and Peace

Recovery Tops 2022 Agenda

Even though the COVID-19 pandemic continues to upset daily life across the globe, the Korean government welcomed the new year 2022 with firm optimism and hope.

For President Moon Jae-in, the year is significant to his presidency, as this year will be the last year of his term in office. He is now determined to fulfill his core objectives before his term ends in May.

In his annual New Year¡¯s address on Jan. 3, President Moon laid out what will likely be the last major components of his agenda. After a year that forced the country to face a myriad of challenges from the un-expectedly prolonged pandemic, President Moon focused his New Year¡¯s goals on two objectives: complete recovery and economic resurgence from the pandemic.

Normality and Inclusive Growth

President Moon affirmed that the first goal of 2022 is a ¡°return to normal life.¡±

Pointing out that infections kept growing due to the Omicron variant, the president acknowledged that the nation still had a long way to go to end the pandemic fight completely. However, he was fully optimistic that his administration would make 2022 ¡°the first year when we completely overcome the crisis and return to normal.¡±

To meet the goal, President Moon promised to make sufficient supplies of vaccines and therapeutic drugs available for the population and further increase economic support to aid the economy in weathering the pandemic this year.

For those hit the hardest by the government¡¯s tightened social distancing measures, especially small businesses and the self-employed, the Korean leader vowed that he would provide compensation and support as intensively and swiftly as possible to the most affected businesses. He said, ¡°All-out efforts will be made to achieve an inclusive recovery that narrows disparities.¡±

His recovery plan for 2022 goes beyond just providing vaccines and funds to those affected. Instead, the government is pushing for a post-pandemic ¡°full economic comeback.¡± President Moon is aware that to survive economically in this pandemic era, the nation must have strong competitiveness in emerging industries, such as technology, space, and green energy, where opportunities for economic growth abound.

In fact, these efforts already began last year with the Korean New Deal, a national economic strategy that aims to reinvigorate the country¡¯s pandemic-battered economy by fostering new technology and green industries.

The policy is centered around the pillars of the Green New Deal and the Digital New Deal. The Green New Deal is designed to reduce carbon emissions and develop environmentally friendly industries. In the meantime, the Digital New Deal aims to enhance the nation¡¯s technological prowess in promising fields such as artificial intelligence, 5G and big data.

This year, President Moon promised that his government will fully implement the Korean New Deal as a centerpiece of its efforts to achieve post-pandemic economic resurgence. Furthermore, the government plans to carry out the Regionally Balanced New Deal―a newly added component complementing the two core pillars of the initiative―to ensure that future economic development is better balanced across the country. He believes that balanced development will lead to a people-centric, inclusive society where no one is left behind and everyone lives well.

Seeking Peace

The economy is not the only focus for 2022. President Moon¡¯s goal of ¡°peace on the Korean Peninsula¡± remains the major non-economic objective of his administration. The president stressed that the country must keep building the path to peace that his administration has paved over the past years, even when a new government comes in.

¡°If an opportunity arises, the government until the end of my term will seek the normalization of inter-Korean relations and an irreversible path to peace,¡± he said. ¡°I hope that the next administration will also continue to strive for dialogue.¡±

Everyone hopes that this year will be a better year with no more lockdowns and with life back to normal. As President Moon announced clear goals to pursue for his remaining five months in office, hope grows that he will do his best until his term ends to achieve the promised goals. His legacy will be determined by how well his administration will fulfill its promises.