President Park Geun-hye said that signing the Korea-China free trade agreement (FTA) will add more weight to the discussion about integrating economies across the Asia-Pacific.

President Park was speaking in an interview on the “Yang Lan One On One” show, aired in mainland China by Beijing TV (BTV) on November 9.



The talk show was hosted by Yang Lan, chairperson of the Sun Media Group. In the interview, President Park emphasized President Xi Jinping’s visit to Korea this past July, saying that his visit, "sailed a boat before the wind between the two countries.”

She said, ”Measures such as opening a clearing bank for direct won-yuan trading and creating a direct trading market between the Korean won and the Chinese yuan will not only consolidate cooperation in the financial and monetary sectors between the two countries, but will also help grow Korea’s financial markets. In the view of many companies, these measures will reduce transaction costs and foreign exchange risk, which will help expand Korea’s trade with China over the long term.”

President Park said that Korea is a country which has experienced both rapid and slow growth, when asked about what experiences Korean can share with China in regard to Beijing’s reform of the country's economic structure. She said that China will be able to refer to Korea’s experiences or to her administration's 3-year economic innovation plan, though not all points are perfectly applicable to Beijing.

President Park emphasized the need to correct abnormalities, remove deep-rooted evils and address unfair practices, when asked about the meaning of, "ushering in an era of happiness for the people," one of her four administrative priorities. She also stressed the need to create a society which can create good jobs. Mentioning "cultural enrichment," another of her top four administrative priorities, the president said her administration will help form a society where people can enjoy "cultural values."

President Park quoted the phrase, “Something unseen matters most in other words,” when asked about what faith or belief she had when she was sworn into office. “A thought in the mind is silent and unseen, but it becomes a habit later. If we have the will and follow through with the thought, we will have great power that can, in the end, even change the world. So with this belief, I spend every day developing the will to build Korea into a country that makes people happy, despite any difficulties.”

By Yoon Sojung
Korea.net Staff Writer
Photos: Cheong Wa Dae
arete@korea.kr