Moon Jae In, former President Roh Moo Hyun chief-of-staff, head of the Roh Moo Hyun Foundation and currently senior advisor to the Democratic United Party, formally declared his presidential candidacy yesterday, outlining an election platform including plans to engage with North Korea in a similar style to that of the late President Roh.

“I will liberate the Korean Peninsula from the anxiety of war,” Moon declared to a crowd of followers in Independence Park. “I will make the Military Demarcation Line and the area of the NLL, hitherto stained with dispute and confrontation under the Saenuri Party regime, into a peaceful economic zone.”

“I will make it so that the June 15th Joint Declaration of President Kim Dae Jung and the October 4th Inter-Korean Summit Agreement are responsibly maintained and implemented by both sides,” he went on. “I will expand the Kaesong Complex and restart Mt. Geumgang tourism so as to actively foster an international tourist special zone encompassing Pyeongchang, Mt. Seorak and Mt. Geumgang.”

Pyeongchang is to host the 2018 Winter Olympics.

On the North Korean nuclear problem, Moon continued, “I will solve the North Korean nuclear problem peacefully, and also construct a Korean Peninsula peace system. I firmly believe that North Korea’s nuclear weapons cannot be allowed. I will get them to give up their nuclear ability through dialogue and negotiation.”

“I will restart the disappeared Six-Party Talks and restore the Republic of Korea’s leading role. By working on restoring the Six-Party Talks and inter-Korean relations in parallel with the construction of a peace system, I will create a virtuous circle of peace and joint prosperity on the Korean Peninsula, and in that find a new motor for growth,” he went on.

Finally, on foreign policy, Moon added, “All our external relations stem from strong national defense. I will turn the ROK military into a strong and capable military. I will strengthen our relations with the United States and develop a preferable sort of relationship, while further strengthening our mutually beneficial relations with surrounding countries China, Japan and Russia.”