Moon Jae-in on war involving Iran: "Issues must be resolved diplomatically"

[Financial News] Former President Moon Jae-in visited the United States on his first overseas trip since leaving office and voiced concern over rising extremism.
On the 5th (local time), Moon spoke at a dinner hosted by the Pacific Century Institute (PCI) at The Beverly Hills Hotel in Los Angeles. He said, "Across the globe, extreme partisan logic and hatred are undermining the values of democracy," and urged, "Let us choose inclusion over exclusion and unity over conflict, so that we can heal the contemporary ills of populism and extremism."
He went on to say, "We are living in a grave era in which tensions continue to rise and the voices of confrontation and hatred grow louder," adding, "The only key to overcoming this crisis is peace, inclusion, and cooperation through dialogue."
Referring in particular to the recent war involving Iran, Moon warned, "The use of force inevitably leads to innocent casualties and a vicious cycle of hatred and retaliation, which in turn poses an even greater threat to peace and security." He stressed, "We must urgently join forces to restrain the use of force as much as possible and resolve issues through diplomatic and peaceful means."
Moon chose the United States for his first overseas engagement since leaving office, visiting Los Angeles at the invitation of PCI and the RAND Corporation.
Regarding the trip, Moon said, "This is my first overseas visit since leaving office, so it is very special," and noted, "It is particularly moving to visit LA, which I was unable to come to while in office."
Before the dinner, Moon met with 12 high school youth ambassadors from the "Youth and Future Bridge Project" and spent an hour talking with and encouraging them. On the following day, the 7th, he is scheduled to deliver a closed-door keynote speech at the RAND Corporation.
gowell@fnnews.com Kim Hyeong-gu Reporter