In his farewell address, the president of South Korea reaffirmed his strategy of engagement with North Korea, expressing his optimism that efforts to restore peace and denuclearize the Korean Peninsula will continue.

Moon Jae-in leaves office on Tuesday after a single five-year term, transferring presidential power and responsibilities to the conservative Yoon Suk Yeol, who has accused him of being "subservient" to North Korea and pledged to take a harsher stance on the North's nuclear development.

"Peace is a prerequisite to our survival and success. In a nationally televised address, Mr. Moon expressed his hope that efforts to restore dialogue between South and North Korea and establish denuclearisation and peace would continue.

When Mr. Moon came an office in 2017, he had limited diplomatic wiggle room due to North Korea's frequent nuclear and missile tests.

Eventually, though, he grabbed the opportunity to reconcile with North Korea when its leader Kim Jong Un abruptly reached out to Seoul and Washington in early 2018 for discussions on the future of its expanding nuclear weapons.

Mr. Kim initially dispatched his influential sister to South Korea for discussions with Mr. Moon and allowed her to attend the opening ceremony of the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea.

Later in 2018, the two Korean presidents met three times for summits, taking steps to reduce border tensions and permitting unusual exchange prograMs and featuring singers and basketball teaMs., among others. Mr. Moon also exerted much effort to mediate the now-stalled nuclear negotiations between Mr. Kim and the then-US president, Donald Trump.

Nonetheless, when North Korea-US diplomacy broke in 2019, Mr. Moon received scathing criticism that his engagement approach helped North Korea buy time and perfect its weapons program in the face of US-led sanctions and pressure campaigns against the North.

In the end, Pyongyang implored Mr.. Moon not to interfere with its relations with the United States and hurled obscenities at him.

In his last address, Mr. Moon asserted that his administration had reduced the risk of war on the Korean Peninsula and bolstered diplomatic aspirations for peace.

"We were unable to advance further due to a lack of efforts and determination. There was an obstacle that determination alone cannot conquer. It is a barrier that we must conquer," Mr. Moon stated without elaborating on the nature of the problem.

Mr. Moon and Mr. Kim exchanged their final official letters last month, in which they expressed optimism for improved bilateral relations.

However, according to some experts, North Korea's description of the letters, in which it emphasized Mr.. Moon's pledge to continue campaigning for Korean reunification even after leaving office, reflected its intention to polarize public opinion in South Korea and dissuade Seoul's new government from adopting a tough stance toward Pyongyang.

Three days after the announcement of the letter exchange, during a large military parade in Pyongyang, Mr. Kim vowed to accelerate the development of his nuclear weapons. He warned to use them preemptively if provoked. Mr. Kim's military has conducted numerous test launches of missiles aimed at South Korea, Japan, and the continental United States in recent months.

According to some observers, Mr. Kim intends to unsettle Mr. While updating his weapons stockpile and persuading the Biden administration to soften sanctions against North Korea, Yoon's upcoming administration's upcoming administration.

According to South Korean officials, North Korea appears to be preparing for its first nuclear test since 2017.