The Korea Times will start publishing a "Letter to President Biden" series from today. The series is aimed at conveying policy recommendations in an open letter from politicians, scholars and experts to the new U.S. president following his Jan. 20 inauguration. ― ED.
By Park Jin
Dear Mr. President,
Allow me to express my heartfelt congratulations on your election and inauguration as the 46th president of the United States of America together with Vice President Kamala Harris.
The presidential election was a glorious victory won by the American people, demonstrating that the American spirit, representing freedom, democracy, human rights and the rule of law, remains vibrant and resilient. Your message, "America is back," signifies the renewed sense of national unity, respect for alliances, and the restoration of U.S. global leadership based on the power of example.
I would like to take this opportunity to recall the honor of meeting you in July 2008 in your office when you served as the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. I was greatly impressed by your warm welcome and strong support for the ROK-U.S. alliance. This was right before you accepted the vice presidency, a critical juncture in your outstanding political service.
As for myself, I have served as the chairman of the National Assembly Committee on Foreign Affairs, Trade and Unification. I have recently returned to political service, as a four-time elected Assembly member representing the second constituency in Gangnam-gu, Seoul.
Our countries are facing critical, common challenges at this moment in time. Korea's most pressing issues are also overcoming the coronavirus pandemic and inducing economic recovery. Given our shared challenges, it is vital that we prioritize joining forces to resolve these issues.
Korea and America are blood allies bonded through the shared bloodshed and sacrifices of our peoples during the Korean War. Moreover, we are partners in our successful free trade agreement. A friend in need is a friend indeed.
Mr. President, we are actively coping with the crisis of the COVID-19 pandemic, spreading on a global scale. The U.S. is now proactively implementing vaccinations of its people, while Korea is eagerly awaiting a supply of authorized and reliable vaccines.
Given the urgency of the production and supply of vaccines to battle the coronavirus, it is imperative that our two countries construct a partnership in promoting the development of and facilitating access to vaccines pursuant to Chapter Five of the Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement (KORUS FTA).
Korea's biopharmaceuticals have sufficient capability in the manufacturing of the COVID-19 vaccine. I believe that a "vaccine swap" between the two countries is also possible and desirable.
Korea and America must reinforce our alliance and partnership in economic cooperation and security assurances, based on the tenets of predictability, reciprocity and common values.
Expanding bilateral trade and investment between our countries will contribute to the creation of jobs, and restoration of the middle class for both our countries. Currently, Korea is the sixth-largest trade partner of the U.S. Korean companies' direct investment in the U.S. continues to grow.
Further bilateral commitments and exchanges in services in the areas of finance, health, education and law must be encouraged. Moreover, greater cooperation in artificial intelligence, 5G technology, renewable/clean energy and climate change is essential.
In relation to security assurances, the maintenance of the strong ROK-U.S. combined defense posture, as a deterrent against North Korea's provocations, is a key precondition for peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula.
The North's conventional armaments and the development of tactical nuclear missiles pose direct threats to South Korea while the intercontinental and submarine-launched ballistic missiles constitute a clear and present danger to the U.S.
It is of critical importance that we foster close coordination between our countries through sanctions and persuasion to achieve disarmament and denuclearization of North Korea. The defense cost-sharing negotiations for U.S. troops stationed in Korea must reach a mutually acceptable agreement at the earliest opportunity.
The ROK-U.S. alliance should also actively contribute to the peace and prosperity of the global community. As you rightly emphasized, Korea serves as the "linchpin of the Indo-Pacific region." Bilateral cooperation has evolved into a comprehensive global partnership. This partnership shall continue to advocate for democracy, free trade, rules-based order and human rights. It will also empower the alliance to effectively respond to the impacts of the rise of China.
Mr. President, you have proposed that, upon your inauguration, the U.S. would take the initiative to convene a global "Summit for Democracy." This summit would embody the protection of liberal democracies and human rights from the threats of authoritarian dictatorships. The vision for U.S. solidarity should be discussed with like-minded democracies in Asia, including Korea, Japan, Australia and India. The "Democracy 10" summit to be organized by the U.K. in June will set the right direction.
The ROK-U.S. alliance must achieve a peaceful unification of the two Koreas. It has been 76 years since the division of the Korean Peninsula. North Korea's totalitarian regime continues to systemically repress freedom and human rights while it strives to remain in power. You may recall your visit to the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), north of Seoul, in a helicopter with your granddaughter in December 2013.
There are 26 million North Koreans on the other side of the DMZ who live in a world devoid of human freedom and information about the outside world. We should provide hope for the future and faith in freedom for them.
You and Dr. Jill Biden laid a memorial wreath at the Korean War Memorial Park in Philadelphia days after the presidential election. We are deeply grateful to you for honoring the sacrifices of all veterans of the Korean War. Mr. President, you have won the sympathy and hearts of the Korean people when you pledged to never betray the values for which they so bravely fought.
Korea should achieve unification based on the values of a liberal democracy, by fulfilling the North Koreans' right to information, extending necessary humanitarian assistance to them and alleviating their dire human rights situation. We must ensure that this is the goal of the ROK-U.S. alliance ― to inspire the suffering North Koreans to create change within their own society.
On the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the Korean War last year, the U.S. Congress passed two milestone resolutions: one, underscoring the crucial role of the alliance for peace and stability in Asia and the world, and two, recognizing the roles of the vibrant 2.6 million-strong Korean community in the U.S. Four candidates of Korean descent were proudly elected to the 2021 U.S. House of Representatives. The alliance continues to grow and foster democracy, diversity and prosperity.
Once again, Mr. President, I convey to you my sincere and heartfelt congratulations on your worthy triumph and historic inauguration.
May God bless you and Vice President Kamala Harris and may God bless the American people.
Most respectfully,
Park Jin
Park Jin (parkjin916@naver.com) is a lawmaker of the opposition People Power Party. He chairs the party's special committee on diplomacy and security and previously served as president of the Korea-America Association.
By Park Jin
 |
 |
Allow me to express my heartfelt congratulations on your election and inauguration as the 46th president of the United States of America together with Vice President Kamala Harris.
The presidential election was a glorious victory won by the American people, demonstrating that the American spirit, representing freedom, democracy, human rights and the rule of law, remains vibrant and resilient. Your message, "America is back," signifies the renewed sense of national unity, respect for alliances, and the restoration of U.S. global leadership based on the power of example.
I would like to take this opportunity to recall the honor of meeting you in July 2008 in your office when you served as the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. I was greatly impressed by your warm welcome and strong support for the ROK-U.S. alliance. This was right before you accepted the vice presidency, a critical juncture in your outstanding political service.
As for myself, I have served as the chairman of the National Assembly Committee on Foreign Affairs, Trade and Unification. I have recently returned to political service, as a four-time elected Assembly member representing the second constituency in Gangnam-gu, Seoul.
Our countries are facing critical, common challenges at this moment in time. Korea's most pressing issues are also overcoming the coronavirus pandemic and inducing economic recovery. Given our shared challenges, it is vital that we prioritize joining forces to resolve these issues.
Korea and America are blood allies bonded through the shared bloodshed and sacrifices of our peoples during the Korean War. Moreover, we are partners in our successful free trade agreement. A friend in need is a friend indeed.
Mr. President, we are actively coping with the crisis of the COVID-19 pandemic, spreading on a global scale. The U.S. is now proactively implementing vaccinations of its people, while Korea is eagerly awaiting a supply of authorized and reliable vaccines.
Given the urgency of the production and supply of vaccines to battle the coronavirus, it is imperative that our two countries construct a partnership in promoting the development of and facilitating access to vaccines pursuant to Chapter Five of the Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement (KORUS FTA).
Korea's biopharmaceuticals have sufficient capability in the manufacturing of the COVID-19 vaccine. I believe that a "vaccine swap" between the two countries is also possible and desirable.
Korea and America must reinforce our alliance and partnership in economic cooperation and security assurances, based on the tenets of predictability, reciprocity and common values.
Expanding bilateral trade and investment between our countries will contribute to the creation of jobs, and restoration of the middle class for both our countries. Currently, Korea is the sixth-largest trade partner of the U.S. Korean companies' direct investment in the U.S. continues to grow.
Further bilateral commitments and exchanges in services in the areas of finance, health, education and law must be encouraged. Moreover, greater cooperation in artificial intelligence, 5G technology, renewable/clean energy and climate change is essential.
In relation to security assurances, the maintenance of the strong ROK-U.S. combined defense posture, as a deterrent against North Korea's provocations, is a key precondition for peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula.
The North's conventional armaments and the development of tactical nuclear missiles pose direct threats to South Korea while the intercontinental and submarine-launched ballistic missiles constitute a clear and present danger to the U.S.
It is of critical importance that we foster close coordination between our countries through sanctions and persuasion to achieve disarmament and denuclearization of North Korea. The defense cost-sharing negotiations for U.S. troops stationed in Korea must reach a mutually acceptable agreement at the earliest opportunity.
The ROK-U.S. alliance should also actively contribute to the peace and prosperity of the global community. As you rightly emphasized, Korea serves as the "linchpin of the Indo-Pacific region." Bilateral cooperation has evolved into a comprehensive global partnership. This partnership shall continue to advocate for democracy, free trade, rules-based order and human rights. It will also empower the alliance to effectively respond to the impacts of the rise of China.
Mr. President, you have proposed that, upon your inauguration, the U.S. would take the initiative to convene a global "Summit for Democracy." This summit would embody the protection of liberal democracies and human rights from the threats of authoritarian dictatorships. The vision for U.S. solidarity should be discussed with like-minded democracies in Asia, including Korea, Japan, Australia and India. The "Democracy 10" summit to be organized by the U.K. in June will set the right direction.
The ROK-U.S. alliance must achieve a peaceful unification of the two Koreas. It has been 76 years since the division of the Korean Peninsula. North Korea's totalitarian regime continues to systemically repress freedom and human rights while it strives to remain in power. You may recall your visit to the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), north of Seoul, in a helicopter with your granddaughter in December 2013.
There are 26 million North Koreans on the other side of the DMZ who live in a world devoid of human freedom and information about the outside world. We should provide hope for the future and faith in freedom for them.
You and Dr. Jill Biden laid a memorial wreath at the Korean War Memorial Park in Philadelphia days after the presidential election. We are deeply grateful to you for honoring the sacrifices of all veterans of the Korean War. Mr. President, you have won the sympathy and hearts of the Korean people when you pledged to never betray the values for which they so bravely fought.
Korea should achieve unification based on the values of a liberal democracy, by fulfilling the North Koreans' right to information, extending necessary humanitarian assistance to them and alleviating their dire human rights situation. We must ensure that this is the goal of the ROK-U.S. alliance ― to inspire the suffering North Koreans to create change within their own society.
On the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the Korean War last year, the U.S. Congress passed two milestone resolutions: one, underscoring the crucial role of the alliance for peace and stability in Asia and the world, and two, recognizing the roles of the vibrant 2.6 million-strong Korean community in the U.S. Four candidates of Korean descent were proudly elected to the 2021 U.S. House of Representatives. The alliance continues to grow and foster democracy, diversity and prosperity.
Once again, Mr. President, I convey to you my sincere and heartfelt congratulations on your worthy triumph and historic inauguration.
May God bless you and Vice President Kamala Harris and may God bless the American people.
Most respectfully,
Park Jin
Park Jin (parkjin916@naver.com) is a lawmaker of the opposition People Power Party. He chairs the party's special committee on diplomacy and security and previously served as president of the Korea-America Association.
![[INTERVIEW] 'Minari' actor Han Ye-ri recalls why the film is special to her](http://img.koreatimes.co.kr/upload/thumbnailV2/4245ae26c4694ac896066ba666ef3726.jpg/dims/resize/178/optimize)
![Earth is suffering [PHOTOS]](http://img.koreatimes.co.kr/upload/newsV2/images/Y2021021900416_2e5f2c74ca18f.jpg/dims/resize/268/optimize)
