[A-List] Age of Northeast Asia

["Henry C.K. Liu" <hliu@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Note:

In order to bring about a genuine Age of Northeast Asia, a structure of
peace must first be institutionalized on the Korean Peninsula. It
certainly is most unfortunate that the peninsula still remains the last
legacy of the Cold War of the 20th century. In the 21st century, we have
to change the peninsula into a land that sends out messages of peace to
the rest of the world. It has to be reborn as East Asia's gateway of
peace that connects the Eurasian landmass with the Pacific Ocean. We
have to soon bring the day when passengers will be able to buy a train
ticket in Busan and travel all the way to Paris in the heart of Europe
via Pyongyang, Shinuiju and the many cities in China, Mongolia and Russia.

I would like to emphasize again that the North Korean nuclear issue
should be resolved peacefully through dialogue. Military tension in any
form should not be heightened. We will strengthen coordination with the
United States and Japan to help resolve the nuclear issue through
dialogue. We will also maintain close cooperation with China, Russia,
the European Union and other countries.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Korea-U.S. Alliance. It has
made a significant contribution in guaranteeing our security and
economic development. The Korean people are deeply grateful for this. We
will foster and develop this cherished alliance. We will see to it that
the alliance matures into a more reciprocal and equitable relationship.
We will also expand relations with other countries, including
traditional friends.





The following is the full text of President Roh Moo-hyun's inaugural
address. - Ed.

My fellow Koreans,

Today I stand here having just been sworn in as the President of the
Republic of Korea in the 16th inaugural ceremony. As a result of the
great choice of a people, I have been given the honored responsibility
of presiding over the new Administration of the Republic. I am very
grateful to each and every one of you; with your support, I promise to
fulfill this great call to duty.

Present here today are President Kim Dae-jung and other former
Presidents of the Republic, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi of Japan,
congratulatory missions from many countries and numerous distinguished
guests from home and abroad. I offer my deepest thanks to you all.

I would like to take this opportunity to pay tribute to the victims of
the recent subway fire disaster in Daegu and offer my condolences to the
bereaved families. To prevent any recurrence of such a tragedy, the
Government will reexamine and drastically improve the disaster
management systems throughout the nation and strive to ensure enhanced
public safety.

Fellow citizens,

Historically, we Koreans have lived through a series of challenges and
have responded to them. Having to live among big powers, the people on
the Korean Peninsula have had to cope with countless tribulations. For
thousands of years, however, we have successfully preserved our
self-respect as a nation as well as our unique culture. Within the half
century since liberation from colonial rule, and despite territorial
division, war, and poverty, we have built a nation that is the 12th
largest economic power in the world.

In recent years, we have successfully entered the age of information and
knowledge, evolving from an agricultural community through the age of
industrialization. Today, however, we are at a historical turning point.
We are at a crossroad of having to decide whether to take off or
retreat; to move toward peace or tension.

The international security environment is rather unsettling. The Iraqi
situation is extremely tense. In particular, global concern is rising
over the North Korean nuclear issue. This is the time to make a
determined effort to safeguard peace and have it firmly rooted on the
peninsula.

The international economic situation is also deteriorating. Developed
nations are incessantly exploring new frontiers and new markets while
developing countries are rapidly closing in. Our nation, therefore, is
in urgent need of a new economic growth engine and viable development
strategies.

At the same time, we are also encountering diverse social problems that
may have great impact on our destiny. They are waiting for your
determination and wise decisions.

We must cope with all these challenges. I know we can do it. Nothing is
impossible when the whole nation joins forces. We demonstrated our
remarkable potential and recovered in record time from the major foreign
exchange crisis that hit many Asian countries. Just last year, we
succeeded in reaching the semi-finals in the FIFA World Cup. And,
throughout the process of the presidential election, we saw
participatory democracy fully blossom.

Fellow Koreans,

In this new age, our future can no longer be confined to the Korean
Peninsula. The Age of Northeast Asia is fast approaching. Northeast
Asia, which used to be on the periphery of the modern world, is now
emerging as a new source of energy in the global economy. Renowned
international scholars have long predicted that the 21st century would
be the Age of Northeast Asia and their predictions are coming true.
Business transactions in the region already represent one fifth of
global volume and the combined population of Korea, China, and Japan is
four times larger than that of the European Union.

The Korean Peninsula is located at the heart of the region. It is a big
bridge linking China and Japan, the continent and the ocean. Such a
geopolitical characteristic often caused pain for us in the past. Today,
however, this same feature is offering us an opportunity. Indeed, it
demands that we play a pivotal role in the Age of Northeast Asia in the
21st century.

Korea is endowed with highly creative and well-educated people as well
as a state-of-the-art information infrastructure. Logistics bases are
being perfected on land and sea and in the air as seen in the up-to-date
facilities at Incheon International Airport, Busan and Gwangyang Ports,
and the projected super-speed railway systems. The country is being
equipped with all the basic requirements necessary to lead the Age of
Northeast Asia in the 21st century. The country is well poised to emerge
as an international logistics and financial hub in Northeast Asia.

Initially, the dawn of the Age of Northeast Asia will come from the
economic field. Nations of the region will first form a "community of
prosperity," and through it, contribute to the prosperity of all
humanity and, in time, should evolve into a "community of peace." For a
long time, I have had a dream of seeing a regional community of peace
and coprosperity in Northeast Asia like the European Union. The Age of
Northeast Asia will then finally come to full fruition. I pledge to
devote my whole heart and efforts to bringing about that day at the
earliest possible time.

Fellow Koreans,

In order to bring about a genuine Age of Northeast Asia, a structure of
peace must first be institutionalized on the Korean Peninsula. It
certainly is most unfortunate that the peninsula still remains the last
legacy of the Cold War of the 20th century. In the 21st century, we have
to change the peninsula into a land that sends out messages of peace to
the rest of the world. It has to be reborn as East Asia's gateway of
peace that connects the Eurasian landmass with the Pacific Ocean. We
have to soon bring the day when passengers will be able to buy a train
ticket in Busan and travel all the way to Paris in the heart of Europe
via Pyongyang, Shinuiju and the many cities in China, Mongolia and Russia.

So far, we have made great efforts to promote peace in the land and the
results have been remarkable. Exchanges of people and merchandise
between the two Koreas are taking place routinely, almost on a daily
basis. Inter-Korean travel routes are open on land and sea and in the
air. In this process, however, we have come to learn that we need to
pursue North Korea policies based on a broader national consensus. While
trying to build on the good results reaped so far and to bring further
progress, I intend to improve on the way the policies are actually
implemented.

I have several principles that I plan to adhere to in pushing the
"policy for peace and prosperity" on the Korean Peninsula. First, I will
try to resolve all pending issues through dialogue. Second, I will give
priority to building mutual trust and upholding reciprocity. Third, I
will seek active international cooperation on the premise that South and
North Korea are the two main actors in inter-Korean relations. And
fourth, I will enhance transparency, expand citizen participation, and
secure bipartisan support. I will implement my policy for peace and
prosperity with the support of the general public.

The suspicion that North Korea is developing nuclear weapons poses a
grave threat to world peace, not to mention the Korean Peninsula and
Northeast Asia. North Korea's nuclear development can never be condoned.
Pyongyang must abandon nuclear development. If it renounces its nuclear
development program, the international community will offer many things
that it wants. It is up to Pyongyang whether to go ahead and obtain
nuclear weapons or to get guarantees for the security of its regime and
international economic support.

I would like to emphasize again that the North Korean nuclear issue
should be resolved peacefully through dialogue. Military tension in any
form should not be heightened. We will strengthen coordination with the
United States and Japan to help resolve the nuclear issue through
dialogue. We will also maintain close cooperation with China, Russia,
the European Union and other countries.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Korea-U.S. Alliance. It has
made a significant contribution in guaranteeing our security and
economic development. The Korean people are deeply grateful for this. We
will foster and develop this cherished alliance. We will see to it that
the alliance matures into a more reciprocal and equitable relationship.
We will also expand relations with other countries, including
traditional friends.

Fellow citizens,

Our society must remain healthy and future-oriented if we are to build a
structure of peace on the Korean Peninsula and usher in the era of
Northeast Asia. We must build strength and maintain vision. That
requires inexorable efforts for reform and integration. Reform is a
driving force behind growth, and integration is a steppingstone for a
takeoff.

On the basis of reform and integration, the new Administration will
pursue democracy with the people, build a society of balanced
development and open an era of peace and prosperity in Northeast Asia.
To achieve these goals, I have set the following tenets for the
operation of the new Administration. They are principle and trust,
transparency and fairness, dialogue and compromise, and decentralization
and autonomy.

We should create new driving forces for fresh growth in each sector. The
various factors that caused the foreign currency crisis are still around
for us to overcome. I want to make the country a favorable place to do
business in and an attractive place in which to invest by reforming the
markets and systems in a fair and transparent manner based on
international standards.

The first order of business is to reform politics. We have to realize
politics that respect our citizens as a genuine source of power. We
should nurture a political climate in which the well-being of the people
takes precedence over partisan interests. I hope to see the kind of
political culture prevail that solves problems through dialogue and
compromise, not through confrontation and conflict. I, myself, will
pursue dialogue and compromise with the opposition parties.

I will help the rebirth of our country by promoting uninterrupted
innovation in science and technology. I will promote the continued
expansion of the infrastructure for a knowledge and information society
and cultivate new industries. I will promote culture and extend active
support for the progress of culture industries.

Education should also be renovated commensurate with these national
goals. We will try to free our children from the yoke of entrance
examinations and allow them to display their talents and creativity to
the fullest possible extent.

Irregularities and corruption must be eliminated not only for the
sustained growth of the economy but also for the health of society. For
this purpose, I will search for a structural and institutional
alternative. In particular, I ask all leaders in society to seriously
reflect on themselves.

For the future of the country, the centralization and concentration in
the Seoul metropolitan area can no longer be left unattended.
Decentralization of power to the provinces and balanced national
development have become tasks that cannot be put off any longer. The
central and the provincial parts of the country should be developed in a
harmonious and balanced manner. The provinces should design their own
future autonomously, and the central part should help them out. I will
press ahead with the task with unusual resolve.

National integration is the most important tasks of our times. My new
Administration will take all possible measures to eliminate
parochialism, including personnel management without regional
consideration. In order to narrow the gap between different income
brackets, I will review improvement measures in terms of benefits in
education and tax systems. I will do my best to ensure labor-management
conciliation and nurture a culture of cooperation.

We should try to build a compassionate society that pays more attention
to the disaffected, including senior citizens and those who are
challenged in various ways. For this purpose, I will try to improve our
welfare policy. I will eliminate all kinds of unreasonable
discrimination. I will pursue a gender-equal society. In this age of
liberalization, I will develop measures to help agriculture and
fisheries, farmers and fishermen. I will make particular preparations
for the arrival of a "silver society."

The time when privileges and violations of rules are tolerated must now
come to an end. The preposterous climate in which justice is ignored and
opportunism prevails must be cleaned up. Let us establish right
principles and build a society of trust. Let us build a society in which
those who work hard are justly assured of success. Rewards should go to
the majority of honest and sincere citizens.

Fellow citizens,

For a long period of time, we have lived on the periphery. At times, we
were forced to go through a history of dependence, unable to determine
our own destiny. But, today we are at the threshold of a new turning
point. Opportunity has come for us to take off as the hub of Northeast
Asia. We should seize this opportunity.

We have overcome numerous challenges with inner strength. We have the
wisdom to turn even crisis into opportunity. With such wisdom and
strength, let us again overcome the challenge facing us today. Let us
make future generations remember us as proud ancestors as, today, we
remember our forefathers.

We are a people who can bring about miracles if united. Let us all pull
together with all our hearts. I invite you all to join this historic
march and make a new takeoff toward an age of peace and prosperity. I
will always stand with you all.

Thank you.



2003.02.26