President Park Geun-hye said, “If the Republic of Korea is to prevail over these challenges and leap towards a new future, I believe we must consummate the twin wings of a creative economy and cultural enrichment, which offer answers to the demands of the 21st century.”
President Park made the remarks while delivering a speech marking the 70th anniversary of Korea’s liberation from Japanese colonial rule, at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts on Aug. 15.
“The Republic of Korea’s record of achievements — described by the world as the miracle on the Han River - is the fruit of the blood, sweat and the indomitable enterprise of our people,” she said. “Together with the Korean people who, with such dauntless resolve, have been writing a creative and miraculous history, I intend to embark on a “grand journey for the Republic of Korea’s renewed leap forward.”
President Park added, “The tragedy of our division and the ravages of the Korean War completely swept away the livelihood of our people. What meager industrial infrastructure we had collapsed thoroughly. But we were far from daunted. Through unity of purpose, and the strength of our people, our nation made great new strides forward. With no capital, no technology, no experience to speak of, we nonetheless managed to erect steal mills and shipyards on barren grounds. We defied huge odds in building the Gyeongbu Expressway, which represents the main artery of our land.”
“Today, we have become a country producing some of the world’s finest electronic goods, automobiles, steel, ships and petrochemical products, and we stand tall as an economic powerhouse with export figures that are the sixth largest in the world. Only six countries on the planet are part of the so-called ‘5030 club’ - nations with populations greater than 50 million and per capita income above $30,000. I am confident that before long, the Republic of Korea will join the ranks of the 5030 club as its seventh member.”
Creative Economy
President Park said, “The government has put forward the creative economy as a new paradigm for the economy and has been working to bring this vision to fruition. The establishment of all 17 Centers for Creative Economy and Innovation in major cities and provinces was completed last month. Now, high quality start-up support services are available for anyone with creative ideas. I am convinced that the creative economy will serve as a driving force that injects vitality into our economy and helps propel the global economy. Looking ahead, the government will be vigorous in its support to make sure the creative economy becomes a new source of advancement for individuals and local economies.”
Cultural Enrichment
President Park also called for cultural enrichment. “When our time-honored culture — one that has attracted the attention of world — blossoms anew as it interacts with the world, the gateway to renewed takeoff could be unlocked,” the president said.
“By revisiting our traditional culture and rediscovering new value in them, we should promote convergence between culture and industry and harness that as a new pillar to rejuvenate our economy,” she added.
President Park said, “Insofar as the creative economy and cultural enrichment are engines that will propel our economic resurgence, the ‘four major reforms’ of the public, labor, financial and education sectors form the basis for the innovation that will continue to power those engines. I will do whatever it takes to accomplish these reforms and pass on to future generations a country brimming with hope.
“We are at a point when all Koreans need to once again rally our collective strength with a unity of purpose to achieve this goal. It is when we share each other’s burdens and go forward together, that we will be able to surmount the challenges that arise along the tough journey of reform and innovation.” “Guided by the same indomitable spirit with which our ancestors transformed crises into opportunities, let us unite together with confidence and hope to achieve our next takeoff,” the president said.
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President Park gets a briefing from the military’s preparedness against North Korea’s possible provocations as she toured the 3rd Army Command on Aug. 21. The government’s strong position against North Korea’s provocations has led to North Korea’s apology against the burying of land mines, which touched off the recent tense situation, and the North’s promising to make efforts to ease tension in the Demilitarized Zone in return for the South’s stopping of loudspeaker broadcasts. (Photos:on the courtesy of Cheong Wa Dae)
North Korean Relations
President Park reconfirmed her position to get tough with North Korea's provocations. The President said “The government will respond firmly to any and all North Korean provocations that jeopardize the safety and security of our people.
“North Korea is threatening our security and that of the international community by continuing to develop its nuclear capabilities and launching cyber-attacks. In particular, the provocative emplacement of mines in the DMZ recently are a direct violation of the armistice agreement as well as the inter-Korea non-aggression accord. North Korea is trampling on the aspirations of Koreans to honor the 70th anniversary of liberation.
“This year also marks, in addition to our liberation, the 70th year of our division into two Koreas. True liberation will only come when we become a reunited people. South and North Korea must heal the wounds of the past and move hand in hand towards the future.”
President Park said, “As the recent normalization of ties between the United States and Cuba and the Iranian nuclear deal attest, the international community is in the midst of a sweeping tide of change and cooperation. But North Korea is treading the opposite path.
“North Korea must break free of the delusion that it will sustain its system through provocative acts and belligerence. Provocations and belligerence bring nothing but isolation and ruin. If, however, North Korea chooses the path of dialogue and cooperation, it will be able to seize an opportunity to improve the lives of its people and lift up its economy.
“In 1972, South and North Korea released a joint statement - the first ever since their partition - that embodied aspirations for peaceful unification through dialogue. Relations between South and North Korea back then were far more fraught and frayed than they are now, and tensions on the Korean Peninsula ran very high.”
President Park also offered an olive branch.
“Even now, there are opportunities available to North Korea. North Korea needs to immediately cease its provocative behavior and nuclear development, which compound the suffering of a nation divided, and instead choose the path to easing military tensions and building trust,” President park. “Encountering the latest provocation in the DMZ, I was again reminded of the pressing need to construct a new zone of peace in the DMZ.” “The seeds of peace must be sown as soon as possible in the DMZ - a place that is paradoxically the most militarized stretch of land in the world, where young South and North Koreans are pointing their weapons at each other.
President Park said, “I call on North Korea to part with its provocative and belligerent ways and join us on the path to building a Korean Peninsula permeated by life and peace. Furthermore, North Korea should also be earnest in seeking to help separated families, who have been spending the past seventy years in tears and agony, find closure.
“When the two Koreas are reunited as one, a new chapter of hope and miracles can unfold. We can outdo the ‘Miracle on the Han River’ with a “Miracle on the Korean Peninsula.”
“A peacefully-reunited Korean Peninsula will be free from the fear of nuclear weapons and war; a place where all eighty million enjoy freedom and human rights. By combining the respective strengths of the two Koreas, linking the transport networks on the Peninsula with the rest of the continent, and building bridges between the Eurasian continent and Pacific economies, we will unleash ever greater opportunities not just for Korean businesses but also for individual people.” “Let us all stand together and prepare for unification, and set our vision on a 100th anniversary where the dream of peaceful unification has become reality,” President Park said.
Korean-Japanese Relationships
President Park expressed hope that Japan will come forward and forge shared peace in Northeast Asia, as an open-hearted neighbor. "We look to the Japanese government to match with consistent and sincere actions its declaration that the view of history articulated by its previous cabinets will be upheld, and thereby win the trust of its neighbors and the international community. In particular, we hope the Japanese government resolves the issue of ‘comfort women’ victims of the Japanese Imperial Army in a speedy and proper way."
"While considerable difficulties remain, it is high time for us to move forward to a new future guided by a correct view of history. I also look forward to serving together the cause of peace and prosperity in Northeast Asia and the world in a way that does justice to our standing in the international community,” President Park said.
“On the 50th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations between Korea and Japan last June, I laid out my determination to move towards a future of renewed cooperation and shared prosperity. I did so because close friendship and cooperation between Korea and Japan are essential to the peace and prosperity of both countries and the rest of East Asia.
“The government has been principled in addressing the issue of how history is viewed, even as we intend to actively push ahead with bilateral cooperation that serves our mutual interests, such as in the security, economic and social and cultural realms.
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