At Cheong Wa Dae this morning, President Moon Jae-in held a joint interview with three Russian media outlets—TASS news agency, the All-Russia State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company and Rossiyskaya Gazeta daily newspaper. At the interview conducted a day ahead of his scheduled visit to Russia, President Moon shared his opinions on Korea-Russia friendly relations and the roles of the two countries for reconciliation and peace between South and North Korea. 

The interviewer was Mikhail Gusman, First Deputy Director-General and Editor-in-Chief for the ITAR-TASS. As an acquaintance of President Vladimir Putin in the media, he is one of Russia's leading journalists, who has so far interviewed about 500 global leaders. In particular, he is maintaining a close friendship with Korean journalists and interviewed all Korean presidents starting with President Kim Dae-jung.   

Deputy Director-General Gusman expressed his gratitude to President Moon for the interview and asked the President about what he thought were the prospects of the Korean and Russian national soccer teams and the World Cup underway in Russia. President Moon congratulated the Deputy Director-General on Russia’s hosting of the World Cup and the huge victory by Russia in the opening match, expressing his anticipation of the Korea-Mexico match.