Moon is unpopular as he is could very well get that simple majority, because after all he is counting the votes. The most important thing for job one, the most important thing for the opposition in korea, those who want to preserve their democracy is to make sure that they take back control of the national assembly. The main opposition party, the Liberty Korea Party currently holds 110 of those 300 300 sea. Some small conservative parties hold a scattering of others. Its important then that you actually get at least 100 seats and hopefully more. We know if they dont, moons party, the Democratic Party of korea, will try to amend the constitution. April 15, therefore, is do or die, now were never and it is now also a time to safeguard rights, democracy and freedom in the republic of korea. Since becoming president in 2017, moon has tried to return in south korea to a more authoritarian style of governance. He has taken control of the big broadcasters to reduce the airing of dissenting views, and also to permit views that promote north koreas. To control his messaging, mood has also gone after social media to prevent what he calls social discontent or social distrust. His party has gone especially after youtube which has become a primary forum for opposition voices. Theyve try to connect censorship laws but they dont really need to enact those laws because they have try to pressure you to. Theyve done this in a number of ways starting, for instance, a tax evasion investigation immediately after youtube refused to take than 104 videos put out by conservative voices in south korea. Moreover, moon has been relentless using the National Police authority to investigate those who abuse that moon has found to be discordant. You dont need to be factually incorrect to be the target of a police investigation. More than 70 South Koreans are now being investigated, some of them journalists, because they started to question where moon was during five years this april when the wildfires in eastern portion of the country were raging. And dont even think of mentioning the massacre of 1980 unless of course you accept moons narrative. So its not a good idea in the south korea of 2019 2019 to cre what moon calls the mid18 democratization movement. Usurper dont want use what he calls preposterous marks and its a sin, it is a sin to mention that north korea might possibly have had a hand in those the services. Now with the appointment on the ninth of this month of the controversial figure cook, possibly correct but certainly in favor of north korea, this is going to make the situation in the south even worse. Moons, has also sought to silence other critics especially defectors from north korea. He doesnt want their voices to talk about the horrific nature of the regime. Also, we are starting to see what some conservatives call quoteunquote reign of terror. Radicals have been putting up wanted posters for north korean defectors, putting their lives in danger. They never criticize north korean defectors as quoteunquote scum. The now notorious, the group along with his associated flower of wave have openly and with impunity challenged critics of the government. Those who criticize north korea. They are dangerous. They have invaded into classrooms to shout propaganda. Bigotry in these offices of daily nk which is a new site in seoul. They have actually broken into the offices of the Human Rights Organization to disrupt its functions. They have made public Death Threats and they have staged plays in seoul showing mock arrest, people bound with rope. And they have scuffled with police. No surprise then that many people in the opposition think that free democracy is on the verge of collapse, special something that we saw in the september 4, 2018 statement. In short, opposition, conservative voices have been pressured. They have been prosecuted. They have been coerced and they have been harassed. Coerced and they had been harassed. In the new south korea we are even starting to see some of the fear, in the big flag rallies on weekends many people hide their faces or try to make sure that photographers dont catch them. They are concerned about retribution from the government. Wasnt supposed to be this way. When mood was inaugurated in mal strive to get rid of authoritarian practices in the presidency. Now, obviously that promise has not been kept. Moon, and this is ironic, was once a human rights lawyer and a campaigner for democracy. We cant blame him for authoritarianism in south korea. Thats been there from the start, started with the first president. We saw during the strong man, and, of course, two generals turned president s. But nonetheless, we also saw in succeeding administrations a move to democracy and liberalization. And we can clearly say the south korea was a more open place during moons to my predecessors two predecessors. Lets be clear about whats occurring in south korea now. Its the reversal of decades long processes to make south korea a more free and open and democratic society. Some people have even suggested that the u. N. And appoints a special rapporteur for south korea. Things have gotten that bad. So unfortunately the south korea of tomorrow could look like the south korea of the past. Maybe even a good look like north korea. What is most disturbing is that moon has been trying to take down the defenses of south korea. They talked about the September September 2010 agreement that moon reached with kim jongun windmilling went to pyongyang. That agreement clearly favors the attacker, north korea, much more than favors the defender. Monash unilaterally taken down defenses, tank traps, observation post fencing near the demilitarized zone. Hes also been implementing plans to make the south korea army smaller in circumstances which are quite puzzling, and, and he has been undermining south koreas alliance with the United States. Theres one country, one country that has pledged to the defense of south korea. It is the country that rushed to south koreas defense after the North Koreans crossed the 38th parallel on june 25, 1950. It is. It is the one country that has 28,500 forces in south korea now. It is the United States of america. Most people in south korea support the alliance. This was made clear by an athlon Institute Council on Foreign Relations vote which was released in january. It doesnt matter what most people in south korea think. They dont count politically and the new south korea. What matters is what one person thinks, that persons pain is moon jaein. He has allowed his senior officials to mischaracterize the american of lines to inflame opinion. He has made it difficult for the United States to maintain one batter of the terminal highaltitude Aerial Defense system, and going behind the back of his only our effort doctor, he came to an agreement with the Chinese Foreign ministry late october 2017, the infamous three notes. No two more emplacements of thaad batteries, no two south korean participation in Ballistic Missile defense, no to a Tripartite Alliance with the United States and japan. These negative covenants made without us, undermine our ability to defend the south. And they are as some people have said a deference to a chinese bully, a chinese bully who is supporting a north korean aggressor. I cant say im not in millions head, i cant say that he hates america. But when our president that it south korea at the end of june, President Trump stood next to moon and the first lady, and the first lady was wearing conspicuously a blue butterfly brooch. Im not sure our president understood the significance of that political statement, but the blue butterfly has become a symbol of antiamericanism in south korea. What moon was doing was he was disrespecting not just President Trump, he was disrespecting the United States of america. Let me close with just one point. In recent months, mood has been with the government antijapan sentiment. We sort of paid attention when moon terminated a military information sharing agreement a few weeks ago. Now, i can understand antijapanese sentiment. My father during world war ii was one of millions, perhaps tens of millions of chinese who fled the japanese marauding army. He was going to school. He then walked west along with everybody else, hitched a ride. He just got himself to places where he was by the japanese only to other cities heading away from the chinese. But lets be clear. No japanese official who prosecuted that war is alive today. No japanese who is an authority in korea during the annexation is alive today. Moon has to understand that regardless of how he feels, he needs japan. In the case of the North Koreans in the case that the chinese a them like they did in the korean war, the United States will need japans cooperation to defend south korea. We will need the forces that we have in japan. We will also need tokyos active cooperation. I dont think moon particularly cares. He is pronorth korea, prochina, antiamerican, antiamerican. In short, hes a danger to south korea which means hes a danger to freedom, which means hes a danger to us. Our frontline today, frontline of our freedom, is hong kong and south korea. And its time for we americans, time for we americans to step up and defend them. Thank you very much. [applause] if you all agree with me, you can go home. [laughing] if not, ask questions. Ill do my best, but many of the korean experts. Thank you very much for coming in. [inaudible] what would it take for china to actually increase force in hong kong come in your estimation. Is i suppose everybody heard that. The question is, when china intervene as the second part of the question. The first part is, is independent a real possibility. Well, everyone who is smart will tell you that independence is not a real possibility. I take a different view. If you go back to 1997 1997 whs the hand over, everybody was probeijing. Everybody was patriotic. The place which is swarming with all sorts of red flags. About five years ago we started to see kids in the 20s wear tshirts with the union jack on them which is one of the ultimate disrespects of beijing because really what it said was life was much better under a a white master who was 5000 miles away that it is to be ruled by my own kind. What we had seen since that time is the movement and the self identification of people in hong kong is not chinese. About a week and half ago, ten days ago someone released a survey which showed that for people in hong kong, under the age of 30, 99 said they were not, not chinese. They said they were hong kong. That is an important move towards and independent state. When you have this, and then of course last week we have heard the National Anthem, quarter code, of hong kong, glory to hong kong, sung by people to society. Once you get a National Anthem you are on your road to getting a nation. I dont think china china of course can kill everybody in hong kong, 7. 4 Million People. They are capable of doing it. I dont think theyre going to. Short of that i dont think they can quell whats occurring right now. Its a growing at a dont think beijing has an answer. Kerry lamb has been saying maybe will make housing cheaper and make life better from an economic point of view. That might have marginal effect but its not going to affect what people really think, and that is right now they believe they should have their own society. All of the slogans that youre here or you in the photographs, those. 2 an independent hong kong state. It will be hard but its not impossible as people tell you. What will it take for china to intervene . China of course is want to intervene because for the reason i mentioned. Also because it would end hong kong as as a special Financial Center where a lot of communist cadres get their money out of the country. So it is in some sense protected but but i think they will intervene under one condition. When they think that the people in hong kong are inspiring protests throughout the mainland. Now, people in the mainland if they took a poll, and its hard to the pool on a sensitive subject in a totalitarian state, but if they were to take a poll which was fair and accurate i think you would find some are about 95 , maybe 95 of the people did not sympathize with people in hong kong. Basically the view in Mainland China is those guys are rich, they have everything. Why are they complaining . But that people in hong kong have perished kerry lamb around and it pushes are used in beijing around. People in the mainland especially in a Digital Radio economy which is not going at the 6. 3 that they claim for the first half of the share which the actually even be contracting if you start to look at the august indicated, whatever it is its not going the way it once was. Theyve got grievances, theyve all sorts of complaints, economic, noneconomic. They may say if i protest, those guys in hong kong, they push kerry lamb around idle i do the same thing. Ive got grievances myself. If they can do, i can do it. Thats when beijing intervenes. I think beijing is not going to intervene lightly but nonetheless a desperate insecure communist militant superstate. They can do anything. Yes, sir. [inaudible] the question is whats going to happen in 2047. This is the end of the 50 or period that was promised in the sino british joint declaration. I dont know the answer to that and actually think most people in beijing right now are not looking at 2047. 2047. I think they are looking at 2019, because they have a situation where they cant control things. They tried almost every tactic in hong kong. They put chinese soldiers into the Hong Kong Police wearing Hong Kong Police uniforms. They have brought out the thugs. Theyve now got carrie lam saying i i want to talk to 150 randomly selected people. Good luck with that. I dont think they are actually thinking that far ahead. They have to make important anniversaries coming up, octobet going to be rejoicing in the resumption of chinese rule. By the way, carrie lam canceled the big fireworks display on october 1. And they have another date coming up which is next year, which is the 100th anniversary of the founding of the communist party. Thats another date that is on the protest calendar im sure. What they really try to do is focus on the here and now. When it comes to 2047, who knows . I dont know what they are thinking. [inaudible] we now have china taking over the south china sea, supporting a nasty dictator in north korea and hong kong. By any measure theyve lost the right to rule one quarter of mankind. So let me ask the question. When do we begin a Quiet Campaign to break up the communist party, to break up the break while the keeps information from going into china . Isnt it time . The question if you didnt hear it, and im sure you did, was when do we start moving against the common as part of china. That is, i think if you look across the american political spectrum there is if you china is a maligned actor. There is no consensus though as to what to do. But i think when you start to look at, there are a lot of Democratic Party candidates have criticized President Trumps tariffs and china policy. But if a look at establishing of the Democratic Party, for instance, speaker pelosi, minority leader schumer, they are on full board of what the president is doing. And i think that really shows a remarkable acceptance of the few that china is a phone, and adversary. I call it an enemy because inmate of this year the actually declared peoples were honest a foe. I think most people start to come to a much darker view of beijings intentions. Your question is when we start getting serious . Im not in the president said but one can make the argument that he has identified china as americas enemy and that hes going to put it down. What we havent heard from trump is the reaganesque statements which i believe he should be making, and which hes probably not in his nature to make. But nonetheless he is doing things which could very well bring down the communist party. Because hes attacking their economy at precisely the wrong moment. China is going through a really difficult with its economy, and you can start to see this in any number of factors, especially those a look at the manufacturing sector. But he will get consumption numbers, chinas economy is falling fast. Here he comes, President Trump, tariffs, attacks on huawei come also to things the president is doing which could have a material effect on the stability of china. People ask to the trumpcares cause problems in china . The answer is no. China is causing its own problems, largely because of xi jinpings view on state domination of economy, the resumption of totalitarian controls. None of this is working but what we are seeing vote is i think trumps policies are having a marginal effect at precisely the right time for what you want to do. And for what i want to do as well. Because i believe that coexistence is not possible. As much as we would like it, and we can be friends with the Chinese People of course. We will be friends with the Chinese People, just not with the communist party around. In the back. Im glad you mentioned two immediate predecessors to president moon. My question is twofold. Do you believe the moon government or its allies before they came into power were responsible for the establishment, conviction and arrests and current incarceration of park [inaudible] yes. Second question since a melter itd who was for corruption or charge gave his salary back to Charity Still remains a popular figure is he speaking out against the current government . The first question is, was moon responsible fo