The Korea Society Welcomes ROK National Assembly Speaker H.E. KANG Chang-hee

Details: Friday, October 19 , 2012 | 12:00 PM

About the Speaker: 2012-10-19 12:00:00
Podcast URL: Speaker H.E. Kang Chang-hee ROK National Assembly Speaker   Keynote Address Delivered at the Korea Society Friday, October 19, 2012   Elevating the Korea-U.S. Alliance   by H.E. Kang Chang-hee, Speaker of the National Assembly Republic of Korea   Amb. Mark Minton, President of the Korea Society, Amb. Se-joo Son, Korean Consul General, Ladies and Gentlemen who have graciously joined us today,   After graduating from the Korea Military Academy, I spent fifteen years of my youth serving in the military. This is why it is a great honor for me to be able to address the Korea Society, an organization founded by General James Van Fleet, for whom I hold my deepest admiration. I would also like to thank everyone for coming here today. I stand here today, in my capacity as the Speaker of the Korean National Assembly, to meet Korea’s long-standing friends to reinforce the friendship between our two countries and talk briefly about the future of the Korea-U.S. alliance. As you are well aware, the situation surrounding the Korean Peninsula has grown increasingly difficult as of late. The hereditary succession is currently underway in North Korea; relations between China and Japan have soured and may likely remain so for the foreseeable future; and signs indicating the rise of nationalism can be noted across East Asia. As such, there is no doubt that all of these developments in the Northeast Asian region are a great challenge to be addressed by the United States. Despite its relative silence, the fact that Russia is a significant potential power in the region remains unchanged. In the past, Korea received direct, if not magnified, impact from what was happening in the U.S., but today, Korea has become equally sensitive to what is taking place in China. Japan also provides a source of discomfort to our people every now and then. Moreover, all countries are struggling with their sluggish economies. Four countries, including Korea, are in the process of political transitions. What is more, it is hard to predict North Korea’s political future at this point in time. Under these circumstances, it seems that the country with the most predicaments is Korea. Every day, we have to live with lingering nuclear threats from North Korea. If the stability surrounding the Korean peninsula cracks, the risks Korea has to face can only be more profound compared to other normal states. The Korean Peninsula is geopolitically located at the very center of four countries. Realistically, Korea cannot remain unaffected by any conflicts arising in this region. Ladies and gentlemen, Leading up to this day since the Korean War, the Korea-U.S. alliance has been the source of Korea’s national power, particularly in terms of national security and economy. Even with several transitions in government over the years, little has changed in this general understanding of the Korea-U.S. partnership. Many alliances exist in the world. Yet, only a few have been as successful as ours. The Korea-U.S. alliance provided material assistance and spiritual support to the Korean people so that we could stand up from the devastating ruins of war and focus on economic growth without having to worry about the outbreak of another war. The bilateral free trade agreement between our countries came into effect in March earlier this year, enabling us to take a step forward as a true economic alliance. We believe that our relations have moved on to a strategic alliance. Koreans believe that the country has entered a new phase in history. We are the world’s tenth largest trading country with trade volume exceeding one trillion dollars. We are one of the rare few in the world whose sovereign credit rating has improved. Once an aid recipient, we have now become a donor country. Also, we are pioneering the Smart revolution with a cutting-edge IT infrastructure. I presume many of you have heard of Psy, a Korean pop singer. You may also be familiar with Korea’s unique cultural expression, Hallyu, or Korean wave. Today, the Korean people are inspired and encouraged by their economic and now cultural achievements. This is particularly true for the younger generations who are not too familiar with the difficult days of the past. Many pundits and intellectuals in Korea, however, know how easily such accomplishments can become susceptible to risks. They are well aware of the fact that the Korea-U.S. alliance must be maintained strong and advance robustly for Korea to be able to contribute to democracy and peace around the world. Building upon this key notion, I would like to carefully express my optimistic view that our bilateral relations will be maintained without hindrance and will continue to develop smoothly going forward. The U.S. presidential election will be held in less than twenty days. The Korean election is in two months. But it is my belief that the alliance will not be affected by the results of the upcoming elections in either country. Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to convey to you that the time has come to elevate the Korea-U.S. alliance to the next level. It is indeed so because, for Korea’s future, there is little that holds as great an importance as our alliance with the U.S. As I mentioned earlier, the foundation of our alliance remains strong for now, or at least, for the predictable future. But the paradigm of the Korean society is changing very rapidly. I take particular note of this fact and hope the leaders of the American society will pay special attention to this trend. Next year marks the sixtieth anniversary of the end of the Korean War. Before coming to the U.S., I hosted a luncheon in honor of some four hundred Korean War veterans at the National Assembly. Most of them were aged soldiers, over the age of eighty. The number of Koreans with first-hand experience of the war is declining rapidly. The U.S. fights for freedom and democracy across the world. It has also experienced first-hand the heinous acts of terrorism. However, Americans’ perception of security threats differs from what Koreans, especially young Koreans, perceive. I may even go so far as to say that some young people have little knowledge of the Korean War. Some may wonder how this is possible for a country with a nuclear threat from the North. Nevertheless, it is true. Korea’s young generations are, perhaps, one of the world’s most dynamic and creative youths. They have a wealth of knowledge, not only about the U.S., but the entire world. And, like many young people in other countries, they have little interest in the heart- wrenching history of their grandparents’ generation or about the war. They grew up in a world relatively richer than that of their parents. They are geniuses when it comes to Apple and iphones, but have no great interest in the alliance between Korea and the U.S. To Americans, this may be somewhat disappointing to hear, given the assistance they provided to Korea. Unfortunately, to a certain extent, this is also our reality. Yet, Korea’s young people become terribly enraged if Korea’s sovereignty or pride is tarnished. Perhaps you know that today’s young people react more vehemently than their older generations to Japan’s territorial claims over Dokdo. Many of you may remember the huge public candlelight vigil that was held in Seoul in 2008. This is the reality of today’s Korean society, and one of the pillars supporting the Korea-U.S. alliance. Henceforth, in step with this new paradigm, we must evolve our alliance with utmost prudence. Sustaining the Korea-U.S. alliance like any other run of the mill alliances would not pose a great challenge. However, in order to advance the alliance and elevate it to the next level amidst genuine trust, reciprocity and friendship, we must face the changes squarely and move forward wisely. We must deeply respect each other as true partners. Now, I would like to close my speech today by putting a few thoughts before you. There are many critical tasks between our two countries. We managed to reach an agreement on the missile issue, but issues such as the transfer of wartime operation control (OPCON), enhanced cooperation in nuclear energy, revision of the Status of Forces Agreement in Korea (SOFA), and developing plans to expand and further advance the impact of the free trade agreement mechanism are challenges we must address in a forward-looking manner. As genuine partners, we must resolve these issues with a long-term perspective. Despite the fundamental changes in our countries over the years, the Korea-U.S. alliance lingers in a framework that was established decades ago. Korea’s rising status in the world needs to be taken into account. Koreans are most sensitive regarding its relations with Japan. After today’s luncheon, I plan to visit the Palisades Park to lay a wreath at the memorial honoring the victims of sexual slavery at the hands of the Japanese army. This is still an on-going issue in Korea. But it is not an issue relevant only to Korea, nor is it limited to only Korea and Japan. It is an issue of universal human values and justice. Regretfully, it seems that Japan is still unable to sincerely reflect on the wrongdoings of the Imperial Japanese Army. Not only is it incredulously haughty of them, but rather pitiful. It claims to be a world-leading country, but if it does not possess the courage to put aside the errors it committed in the past, how will it be able to exhibit global leadership? Furthermore, it is high time that Japan stop its so-called “territorial” claims over Dokdo. Such actions will not only be poisonous to itself on a smaller dimension, but on a larger scope, it may have a negative effect on the stability and peace in the East Asian region. Even today, many intellectuals in Japan, including renowned literary writers, are admonishing the country for its actions. Given that the voices of contemporary intellectuals represent the underlying thoughts of society, we are watching how Japan will change. The deterioration of Korea’s relations with Japan may lead to a surge of nationalism in Korea. No country will find it easy to disregard its rising nationalism. East Asia has just as much a chance of witnessing a strong potential upswing of nationalism as in any other regions in the world. Therefore, the U.S. should give this point its highest consideration in formulating its foreign policy in Northeast Asia. The exchange between our two governments today is vibrant and based on strong cooperation, but we must also devote multifarious efforts to strengthen the confidence between our peoples. Understanding and exchange between our two legislative bodies have been particularly wanting. It is imperative that the political elites of our two countries learn more about each other. Exchanges of experts, scholars and journalists in various fields must be further increased. I would like to emphasize the fact that trust and confidence are not something that can be built on their own. Ladies and gentlemen, About nine years ago, in November 2003, I had a chance to visit Iraq as leader of the Field Inspection Delegation of the National Assembly prior to the ratification of the additional dispatch of Korean troops to Iraq. The Honorable Chung Jin-suk, who is with us here today, was also a member of our delegation. Early one morning, we were in our hotel in Baghdad when the building was struck by a rocket attack aimed at our delegation. Fortunately, we managed to escape unscathed, but the hotel instantly turned into chaos. I still remember vividly how that terrible life-or-death situation made me think solemnly about terrorism and war, and the Korea-U.S. relations. It enabled me to appreciate the lengths that were taken in preserving the alliance. Ladies and gentlemen, The order of the Northeast Asian region has changed fundamentally from what it used to be some twenty years ago. All countries in the region must look to the future and dedicate greater efforts towards cooperation, development and peace. We have learned from history that military power alone cannot secure national interest in the long run. If we acknowledge this flow of change, we will be able to better realize our shared values and common goals. I sincerely hope that our two countries will be able to share this conviction. Thank you for your kind attention.
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2012 10 19 KANG Chang-hee icon On October 19, 2012, H.E. Kang Chang-hee, Speaker of the Republic of Korea’s National Assembly, spoke to members and guests of The Korea Society about a range of issues, including the transfer of wartime operational control (OPCON), peaceful use of nuclear fuel, Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) and missiles, and the development and deepening of Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement mechanisms. The Speaker also addressed the rise of nationalism in Northeast Asia, difficulties with Korea-Japan relations and their impact on the United States, and what he sees as a paradigm shift in the Northeast Asian regional order.

Friday, October 19, 2012

Le Parker Meridien Hotel
(119 W. 56th Street, Tansa Room)

The Korea Society Welcomes
ROK National Assembly Speaker KANG Chang-hee