President Park Geun-hye delives a speech at her New Year's news
conference at Cheong Wa Dae on Jan. 6 in which she called for prepartions
for reunification.(photo on courtesy of Cheong Wa Dae)
Heading into her second year in office, South Korean President Park Geun-hye demanded that North Korea abandon its nuclear program to ensure not only real peace on the Korean Peninsula, but also shared prosperity in Northeast Asia.
President Park said in her New Year’s news conference at Cheong Wa Dae on Jan. 6, “The primary obstacle in preparing for a future of unification is the North Korean nuclear problem. A hindrance to unification and a threat to world peace, North Korean nuclear development cannot be allowed to continue.”
“For the Republic of Korea to reach still greater heights, it must move beyond the division of South and North and the threats of war and nuclear weapons to usher in a time of unification on the Korean Peninsula. And preparations for such a time must begin now.”
The president said her government will make joint efforts with neighboring countries to prevent the advancement of the North’s nuclear capabilities and to devise various steps for its complete dismantling. “If the North takes genuine steps toward denuclearization, both South and North as well as the international community will be able to take meaningful action together, not only for real peace on the Korean Peninsula, but also for shared prosperity in Northeast Asia,” she said.
The president said, “Another key task in national administration this year is to lay the foundation for unification on the Korean Peninsula. This is a serious hour for inter-Korean relations.” She went on to say, “Last year, the North went ahead with its third nuclear test and continued its threats of war unabated. It shut down the Gaeseong Industrial Park and unilaterally cancelled hard-won plans to hold family reunions. Most recently, with such developments as the execution of Jang Sung-taek, the regime has become even more unpredictable.”
President Park said her government will strengthen humanitarian aid to North Korea and expand civilian exchanges this year, as it responded to the suffering and hardship the people of North Korea experienced by continuing to do so despite the difficulties in inter-Korean relations.
The president proposed holding reunions of separated families between South and North Korea on Lunar New Year’s Day, which falls on Jan. 31. “This year, in time for the Lunar New Year’s Day, I hope the families who are now aged and have waited over the past 60 years will be able to reunite and find healing for their pain. I hope the North will allow this to happen as a solid first step in crafting a new framework for inter-Korean dialogue,” she said.
“In the days to come, if we could build a peace park in the DMZ and so tear down the walls of distrust and contention, and if we could connect a Eurasian railway and so transform the Korean Peninsula into a channel of trust and peace, we would be that much closer to making unification a reality,” the president said.
President Park said many people think reunification will cost too much, but she replied that in a word, it is a jackpot. “I think the reunification of the Korean Peninsula will serve as an opportunity for our economy to make strides forward,” she said.
The president said she welcomed the North’s peace overtures, but she stressed what matters is actions, not words. She reconfirmed her position that she is ready to hold summit talks with North Korea, but she made it clear she would not hold any talks for talks’ sake.
President Park also expressed her will to promote economic innovation and to improve inter-Korean relations and the welfare of the people. “I will work to make sure that the Republic of Korea has a successful year and makes an economic takeoff. I will ensure that the nation and the people will gain new vitality and move ahead,” she said.
“This year, I will formulate a three-year plan for economic innovation and yet another growth surge with benefits that the people will be able to feel.
