US address President Park did not give
This column imagines what President Park Geun-hye might have said in her address in Washington on her postponed U.S. trip. ― ED.
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By Stephen Costello
Dear Mr. President, Madam First Lady, political colleagues, media representatives, American friends,
Thank you for your kind words. All Koreans, no matter what their different political or social views might be, are thankful for you and your unwavering support for our country and our future ambitions.
It has become very comfortable for me, or any Korean President, to come here and stand next to the U.S. President. We always know that we are speaking from a common solid foundation. That is not something to take for granted in this world. Many other peoples struggle to create a basic democracy. But here, together with the U.S., we have achieved that. Let me pause to appreciate this fact, and to let Americans and Koreans think for a moment about how wonderful this is. Of course, such a foundation also imposes on us a responsibility to leverage our joint power, to look at the big opportunities, to try to improve things.
As for you and I, we are both firsts. That is a wonderful thing socially and politically, but it is also a burden historically. To be clear about it, we can’t mess this up. And that brings me to why I am here.
It is certainly possible for my administration to continue along with our confrontation with the North Korean leadership. They make talking and making agreements difficult. You and I have both experienced this, Mr. President. Furthermore, I appreciate that here in Washington the difficulty of dealing with our North Korean neighbors has become politically poisonous. Some of the same political dynamics are also present in Seoul.
But it is also clear that cold relations are costing us, all of us, a great deal. Those costs are not likely to get smaller, or to go away. In short, we could leave office with the problems surrounding North Korea’s isolation and weapons not only unsolved, but worse. Arms proliferation, massive expenditures, distrust, tough lives for the North Korean people, and paralyzed development will be left behind. I have just over two years left in office; you have just over one year. I do not think I can end my presidency without trying to change this tragic history.
As I consider the legacy I will leave behind, I realize that my time in office is special for many reasons. Not only am I one of the important post-authoritarian democratic presidents, but also the first woman. I am also one of the very first 21st-century Korean presidents, and that has its own particular meaning. We are a smart, technology-savvy country, and we have every reason to thrive in a globalized economy. For challenges like clean energy, sustainable city design, transportation, and social-system balance, we can and should be at the front. As we progress, how can we leave behind our neighbors, our families, our fellow Koreans to the North? The fact is, for them and for us, we cannot.
So I want to make it clear today that we will now begin a new initiative, using all government departments and political leaders, and inviting ideas from domestic and outside experts, to reach out to North Korea with comprehensive plans for meeting these challenges together. This will be new for us. We will make this a truly national — and eventually international — plan for development of the North and security for its people. That is how its isolation will ease, its weapons will be reduced, and human rights will be addressed. We South Koreans must do this because, although the U.S., Japan, China, Russia and others have interests in these changes, we have far more interests than anyone. Only we can lead this effort.
I am not sure we could be successful if we did not have real support, based on interests, from our American allies. So I want to express my gratitude, on behalf of the South Korean people, for that steady support, and for the deep trust we enjoy with you, Mr. President. You can be sure that any advances we make, any joint projects we begin, will have your long-term interests in mind. The door will always be open for your official and commercial involvement. As someone recently observed, the new Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank might be one of the opportunities for the North to begin involvement with lending, which could lead to stability on the peninsula and gradual integration. There is a lot of work to be done.
We would also face an uphill battle without understanding and active support from our Chinese friends. And here I want to thank them for their work with the North. It has not always been easy for them, and we hope to make sure they can greatly develop the thriving China-Korea border region that has only begun to realize its promise.
My Japanese counterpart, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, may be a historic figure in Japan because of his strong leadership and determination to expand Japan’s role in the region. The new defense guidelines that he signed with you, Mr. President, are largely logical and useful steps for Japan to take. We appreciate that Japan will not return to negative actions of the past but will join us in building a safer and more prosperous future.
The prime minister and I will have to talk a bit more about issues of history and territory, but with so much in common and so much to do in our neighborhood, I am sure those can be managed. As we in East Asia celebrate the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II, we must collectively grasp the opportunities for a more stable and prosperous future and reject the constraints and limitations some groups would impose on us. Perhaps a few days on Jeju Island and some honest discussions will help the prime minister and me. So let me propose that right here. And if the prime minister accepts, I look forward to that.
Let me thank you and the American people again for your unwavering support. We intend to make you proud. In all the best ways, we are counting on you.
Stephen Costello is producer of AsiaEast, a Web and broadcast-based policy roundtable focused on security, development and politics in Northeast Asia. He previously directed the Korea program at the Atlantic Council of the U.S. He writes from Washington, D.C. He can be contacted at cosetllos@asiaeast.org.