Lee vows to create greater Korea with shared growth

Following is an excerpt of President Lee Myung-bak’s speech on the occasion of the 67th anniversary of liberation from Japan. – ED.

Toward a Greater Republic of Korea

Fellow citizens, our beloved brethren in the North and compatriots residing overseas,
I join all Koreans in celebrating the 67th anniversary of liberation today.

I pay profound tribute to our patriotic forefathers who gave their precious lives to win back the country, to patriots who devoted themselves to founding the nation, and to our men and women in uniform who sacrificed themselves while fighting during the Korean War or serving on the frontlines protecting national security.

I extend my gratitude and sympathy to the decorated patriots who fought for the nation’s independence and families of fallen heroes.

My heartfelt congratulations and appreciation also go out to the members of Team Korea who made a triumphal return from the London Olympics and all the Korean people who rooted for them with one heart throughout the night.

It has been 64 years since Korea made its debut in the London Olympic Summer Games of 1948.

Even though the Government was yet to be established, our athletes could travel by ship and participate in that Olympics with the help of donations from the public; they won two bronze medals. This time in London again, Korea became the fifth strongest sports powerhouse.

Each and every one of our 245 athletes touched the hearts of all Koreans.
The Seoul Development Consensus, which was agreed upon and announced by the G20 leaders, laid out a new strategy for helping developing nations to stand on their own going beyond the simple material aid provided in the past. Watching the leaders of African developing countries thank Korea in tears for its sincere efforts, my heart was touched.

This past March, a Nuclear Security Summit was held in Seoul. Through the Summit, Korea played its part as a consensus builder on global security and helped work out global peace governance, thereby greatly contributing to expediting the goal of building a nuclear-free world.

Joining the Development Assistance Committee of the OECD in 2010, Korea became the only nation in the world since the end of the Second World War to turn into an aid-donor from an aid-recipient country.

Numerous challenges still lie ahead of us. The global economic crisis triggered by the eurozone fiscal crisis is more serious than anticipated. Unless the eurozone swiftly takes drastic measures in a preemptive manner, it is expected to take more time than originally projected for the global economy to turn around.

As polarization is being aggravated due to the global economic crisis, it is now impossible to achieve sustainable growth without ecosystemic development.

To create a society where those who fall can get help to stand up and run again, the Government has expanded tailor-made welfare insofar as it did not compromise fiscal soundness and made all-out efforts to create more job opportunities.

At a time when global competition is taking place between business ecosystems, going beyond the competitions between businesses, shared growth has become inevitable for business survival.

Creativity for Sustainable Growth

Only when the economy grows will it be possible to provide welfare benefits and create job opportunities. In the future smart society, creativity is the biggest growth engine, and the source of competitive edge.

It is not an easy task to build a social infrastructure where individual creativity can be exhibited to the fullest, yet that is a must for Korea since it has to continue to advance.

Te future era will likely present a big chance for Korea especially well known for its unparalleled zeal for education in the world.

Approximately 1.4 million non-Koreans are already living in the Republic of Korea, and their number will continue to increase in the years to come.

For the sake of forging ahead in this age of cultural diversity, the country must transcend the idea of ethnic homogeneity and embrace the value of a multicultural society. In this regard, reinforcing legal and institutional devices will be important, but enhancement of social awareness is more important than anything else.

We have to open our doors more widely and foster an environment where talented people can come from around the world and fully demonstrate their abilities.

South-North Relations and International Cooperation

Eighty million Koreans,

For South-North relations to develop in a consistent and sound manner, ties between the two sides should first be on a normal footing.

All along, the North Korea policy of this Administration has been solidly based on this recognition.

Superficially, the situation may look different, but in reality, the Administration’s principled North Korea policy is evaluated as beginning to bring about a substantial effect.

Pyongyang has also come to a situation where it has to look straight at reality and consider a transformation. We will carefully watch for the possible changes.

Denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula was agreed on between the South and North as well as at the Six-party Talks. It has to be strictly complied with as it also constitutes an international obligation under UN Security Council resolutions. On the basis of it, the South, along with the international community, is ready and willing to help the North.

The South is open to inter-Korean dialogue while at the same time being mindful of the human situation in the North.

The ultimate consummation of our liberation consists in national unification. National reunification will be the springboard of a truly greater Republic of Korea.

Japan is a close neighbor, a friend that shares basic values, and an important partner that we should work with to open the future.

However, we have to point out that chain links tangled in the history of Korea-Japan relations are hampering the common march toward a better tomorrow in the Northeast Asian region, as well as bilateral ties.

Particularly, the issue involving mobilization of “comfort women” by the imperial Japanese military goes beyond relations between Korea and Japan. It was a breach of women’s rights committed during wartime as well as a violation of universal human rights and historic justice. We urge the Japanese Government to take responsible measures in this regard

Korea will proactively accommodate its neighbors and other members of the international community and cooperate with them on a higher dimension. This kind of well-rounded stance is necessitated by the fact that Korea has now emerged as a leading nation. It is also necessitated by the need to manage and further advance its global networks.

The Administration and I will do all we can to solve pending economic issues, including creation of more jobs and curbing inflation.

The Administration will also strive to safeguard socially vulnerable individuals by cracking down on school violence, illegal loan practices, sexual violence and other crimes.

The Government will do its utmost to fairly manage the presidential election scheduled for December. I hope the election will prove to be an occasion where Korean political culture is enhanced one step higher.

In order to establish a Greater Korea, I will continue to work ever more faithfully along with the Korean people until the last day of my term in office.

I thank you all very much.