President Moon Jae-in has been selected as one of the most influential leaders around the world by both Fortune and Time magazines. The photo above shows U.S. President Donald Trump (left) and President Moon attending a joint press conference after their summit in November 2017. (Cheong Wa Dae)
By Kim Young Shin
The U.S. magazines Fortune and Time have selected President Moon Jae-in as one of the world’s most influential leaders.
Fortune put President Moon fourth on its list of the world’s 50 greatest leaders, released on April 19, and mentioned his endeavors to create a fairer economy, such as boosting the minimum wage, expanding health coverage and addressing the influence of the country’s chaebol conglomerates. It also said, “Moon has been pivotal in arranging talks between President Trump and North Korea’s Kim Jong-Un, a possible prelude to inter-Korean reconciliation.”
The top places on the list were taken by students at Marjory Stoneman Douglas and other schools across the U.S., Bill and Melinda Gates, the cofounders of the Gates Foundation, and then the #MeToo movement.
Time magazine has also selected the Korean president as one of its 100 most influential people of 2018, on April 19.
Mark Lippert, former U.S. ambassador to Korea, wrote about President Moon for the list. He said, “Following his election to the presidency in 2017, Moon has made dramatic moves with regard to North Korea: hosting Kim Jong Un’s sister at the Winter Olympics, agreeing to an inter-Korean summit and brokering what could be a first-ever U.S.-North Korea summit between President Trump and Kim. Moon must now navigate between the U.S. and North Korea, as well as regional rivalries, to rid Pyongyang of illegal nuclear weapons and missile programs.”
Time’s list also included North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, U.S. President Donald Trump, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
The magazine Fortune listed President Moon Jae-in as one of the world’s greatest leaders, on April 19. (Fortune)
