FPA Great Decisions 2019

July 12, 2019

 

Good afternoon. It is a great pleasure and honor to meet with you, great teachers, today. I would like to thank President Lateef for providing me with this wonderful opportunity.

Distinguished teachers,

Absolutely, all of you, teachers, deserve our profound thanks and praise each and every day. President Kennedy said, “Our progress as a nation can be no swifter than our progress in education. The human mind is our fundamental resource.”

It is you who work hard each and every day as guardian angels for your students at the ever-changing frontier of education.

It is you who each and every day play a critical role in shaping the future of our children by cultivating their young minds with your enthusiasm, devotion, determination, imagination, and, of course, loving care for your students.

This is why I am delighted and honored to meet with you, such wonderful teachers today.

Ladies and gentlemen,

The Korean War ended 66 years ago on July 27th. Since the three-year-long conflict ended with an armistice, not a peace treaty, we are technically at war on the Korean Peninsula. Though it may sound surreal, that is the stern reality facing us.

This is why major stakeholders, South and North Korea, the United States, and China are now engaged, both in public and behind the scenes, in the process towards complete denuclearization and permanent peace on the Korean Peninsula.

It is safe to say that the United States is the single most important factor in helping move the process forward.

In this regard, I think it is important to understand how the U.S. engagement with the Korean Peninsula had started and has evolved for more than 100 years since the U.S. and Korea established their diplomatic relations in 1882.

Considering this, I will divide my presentation into two parts: 

First, I will discuss the Korea-U.S. relations from a broad perspective. 

And then, I will give a somewhat detailed explanation of the recent developments taking place on the Korean peninsula.  

I think it is worthwhile to do so, as those new developments on the Korean Peninsula will continue to have great implications not only for the two Koreas but also for East Asia and the world as a whole, politically, geo-strategically, economically, and in many other important ways.

After that, I will conclude with a message of hope for peace.

II. Overview of the Korea-U.S. Relations

Ladies and gentlemen,

As regards the overview of the Korea-U.S. relations, I will begin with the initial relations between our two countries leading up to the Korean War.

(Initial Relations)

The relations between Korea and the U.S. hark back to 1882 when both countries established diplomatic relations by signing the Treaty of Peace, Amity, Commerce, and Navigation. 

What is interesting is that China, under Qing dynasty at the time, mediated and facilitated Korea’s opening to the United States.  At that time, Korea maintained a closed-door policy. 

As you are aware, Qing China’s national strength decreased tremendously after their defeats in the 1st (1840-1842) and 2nd (1856-1860) Opium Wars.

On the other hand, Japan was gradually expanding its economic and military power.  In 1853, Commodore Perry’s gunboat diplomacy was successful in opening Japan, which brought about significant changes in Japan, such as the Meiji Restoration in 1868. 

With its newfound modernized military, Japan used the very same gunboat diplomacy that had been used against itself more than 20 years earlier to open Korea. After signing a treaty with Korea in 1876, Japan tried to increase its influence over Korea. 

It was under these circumstances that Qing China offered its good offices to the U.S. to check against Japan’s intention vis-à-vis the Korean Peninsula. 

As a result, the U.S. secured a door-opening treaty with Korea in 1882.  This treaty actually served as a template for subsequent negotiations between Korea and other Western powers. 

Subsequently, Korea began to conclude similar treaties with other Western Powers, including Great Britain (1883), Germany (1883), Russia (1884), and France (1886).

By the end of the 19th century, the Korean Peninsula had become a staging arena for rivalry and competition among major powers.

Unfortunately, the Korea-U.S. relations were short-lived. The relations continued only until 1905 when Japan assumed direct control over Korea’s foreign affairs.  In 1910, Japan colonized Korea; and Korea faded away from the world’s diplomatic map.

It was not until after Japan’s surrender in 1945, at the end of World War II, that the Korea-U.S. relations started anew. 

But this time, unfortunately, the Korean Peninsula became a victim of the looming Cold War as it was divided at the 38th parallel into two occupation zones – the United States in the south and the Soviet Union in the north.  

Initial hopes for a unified, independent Korea were not realized; and in 1948 two separate nations were established – the Republic of Korea (ROK) in the south, and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) in the north. 

In 1949, the United States established diplomatic relations with the Republic of Korea, more frequently referred to as South Korea.

(The Korean War: 1950 - 1953)

That was the initial relations between our two countries. Now, I will move on to the Korean War, but I will be brief because Professor Grant will discuss it in a detailed manner following my presentation.

On June 25, 1950, North Korean forces invaded South Korea.  The Korean War triggered America’s interest in the geo-strategic value of the Korean Peninsula. The United States led a United Nations coalition of 16 countries, [including Canada], to rescue Korea. 

Four months into the conflict, China secretly began to massively intervene in the war on behalf of North Korea, resulting in the first confrontation with the U.S. forces in November.  This fundamentally changed the situation on the ground. 

For the final two years of the conflict, a stalemate ensued until an armistice was concluded on July 27, 1953. 

During the war, 54,246 American soldiers [and 312 Canadian soldiers] made their ultimate sacrifice.  We, Koreans, are deeply grateful for their sacred sacrifices for the freedom of Korea.

We will be remembering and honoring them again on July 26th this year as we celebrate the 66th anniversary of Korean War armistice at the Korean War Veterans Memorial in Battery Park on the southern tip of Manhattan.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Despite this, you may wonder why the Korean War is often called “the Forgotten War” in the United States.

Indeed, the Korean War is underappreciated because the three-year conflict, whose coverage was censored at that time, is often overshadowed by World War II and the Vietnam War.

However, Dr. Charles Armstrong, a Korean history professor at Columbia University, emphasizes that “it was from the Korean War onward that [America] had a permanent, global military presence that we had never had before.” He continues that “it was a real turning point for America’s global role.” 

Yes, he is right!  Back in October 1951, the New York Times carried an article saying that “the Korean War has brought a great and probably long-lasting change in [American] history and [American] way of life.  …forcing [America] to adopt measures which are changing the whole American scene and [America’s] relations with the rest of the world.”

In a nutshell, the Korean War had and will continue to have enormous implications not only for the United States but also for the entire world.

(Robust Korea-U.S. Alliance as a Linchpin of Peace, Security, and Prosperity)

Ladies and gentlemen,

Let me briefly explain how much Korea has changed since the Korean War.

Thanks to the rock-solid US-Korea alliance and the economic partnership, Korea rose from the ashes of the Korean War and achieved remarkable economic development in such a short period of time. 

Yes, the Korean War is the only example of a U.S. military intervention in the post-World War II era that resulted in a huge success.

 Today, Korea is a vibrant democracy and the world’s 11th largest economy.  Korea has become the first country to transform from an international aid recipient to a donor nation. 

At the end of the Korean War in 1953, Korea’s GDP per capita was mere $67 (USD). However, last year, Korea became the 7th country to join the exclusive 30-50 club for economies with $30,000 in GDP per capita and 50 million people.

Furthermore, Korea is the only country in the world to have Free Trade Agreements with three mega-economies: the United States, European Union, and China.  Korea is the 6th largest trading partner for the United States.  

Ladies and gentlemen,

In this regard, as I have just indicated, Korea’s success story has been possible largely due to the robust Korea-US Alliance that has served as a linchpin of peace, security, and prosperity on the Korean Peninsula and in the region for the past six-plus decades.

In the meantime, it is also important to understand that to help the Korea-US Alliance to evolve into one of the most exemplary partnerships, Korea has always been “ready and willing” to bear its fair share of the Alliance.

For example, South Korea’s alliance cost-sharing as a percentage of GDP is two times that of Japan and five times that of Germany!

[We pay for the bulk of the costs of stationing 28,500 American troops in Korea.  In addition, Korea not only provided free land for Camp Humphreys, which is the largest U.S. military base outside of the United States, but also paid 92% of the construction costs – almost $10 billion. When it comes to the solid ROK-U.S. alliance and economic partnership, the list goes on and on.]

(Recent Developments Surrounding the Korean Peninsula)

Distinguished teachers, ladies, and gentlemen,

As the second part of my presentation, I would like to take this opportunity to briefly update you on the situation of the Korean peninsula.

As you know, President Trump surprised the world once again with his impromptu meeting with Chairman Kim Jung-un of North Korea immediately after his summit with President Moon Jae-in, which grabbed the headlines from around the world on June 30th, some two weeks ago.

Indeed, life is full of unexpected things.

However, in order to better understand all this, we would have to put this truly historic moment into perspective, especially through looking back at the recent exciting developments surrounding the Korean Peninsula.

First and foremost, following the crisis reaching unprecedented levels in 2017, a peace momentum on the Korean Peninsula was created on the occasion of the PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games which was held in South Korea in February last year.

[You may recall President Trump’s “fire and fury” remarks.  More frighteningly, on January 1st and 2nd last year, President Trump and Chairman Kim Jung-un were even boasting about whose nuclear button is bigger and more effective!]

Dramatic developments have since taken place.   Between South and North Korea, President Moon Jae-in and Chairman Kim Jung-un held three inter-Korean summits within such a short span of time from April through September last year.  This was truly unprecedented! 

What is remarkable is that inter-Korean relations have noticeably improved to the extent to which as of November 1st last year, both Koreas ceased all hostile acts against each other near the border in order to effectively address the need to “alleviate military tension and eliminate the danger of war.”

We have also seen a dramatic change in the relations between the United States and North Korea.

As you are aware, President Trump met with Chairman Kim in Singapore in June last year, the first-ever meeting between a sitting US President and a North Korean leader.  They met again in Hanoi in February this year.  Unfortunately, their second rendezvous ended without a deal.

It is against such a backdrop that the Korean government has been working hard to maintain a momentum of dialogue while helping to resume the follow-up negotiations between the U.S. and North Korea as soon as possible.

Distinguished teachers, ladies, and gentlemen,

On a fundamental level, the United States and the two Koreas are pursuing three main objectives as confirmed in such important agreements as the Panmunjeom Declaration of April 2018 between South and North Korea and the Singapore agreement of June 2018 between the United States and North Korea. 

These objectives include: firstly, complete denuclearization of the Korean peninsula; secondly, the establishment of permanent peace on the Korean Peninsula; and thirdly, the improvement of inter-Korean relations as well as the relations between the U.S. and North Korea. 

These are sort of the “three amigos” who should move forward together.

Bearing this in mind, our government has been working closely with the U.S. government to jumpstart the denuclearization and peace process in the aftermath of the Hanoi summit.

Ladies, and gentlemen,

Why should we do that? The answer is clear. We must do everything we can to prevent another war on the Korean Peninsula. 

Dr. Graham Allison, a renowned political scientist at Harvard University and author of the famous book, Destined for War: Can America and China Escape Thucydides’ Trap?, argues that the Korean Peninsula is one of the possible catalysts for an inevitable clash that is reminiscent of his “Thucydides’ Trap” between the ruling power, the United States, and the rising power, China. 

According to him, “A risk associated with Thucydides’ Trap is that business-as-usual – not just an unexpected, extraordinary event – can also trigger large-scale conflict.”

The silver lining is that as he points out, war is not inevitable. Four of the 16 cases in his review did not end in bloodshed.

Our government knows this full well.  We take the firm view that another war on the Korean Peninsula should be avoided by all means, because we know very well how horrible the Korean War was.

According to reasonable estimates (History.com), nearly 5 million people died. More than half of them were civilians or about 10 percent of Korea's prewar population. The civilian casualty rate of the Korean War was higher than that of World War II or the Vietnam War. 

And, as I already pointed out more than 54,000 Americans died in action in Korea and more than 100,000 were wounded. 

Many military and security experts share the view that “the costs of a second Korean War would be massive: and most devastating of all, the potential use of nuclear weapons in combat for the first time since Hiroshima and Nagasaki.” 

[In September 2017, CNBC reported that a war scenario at the Pentagon estimated “there would be about 20,000 casualties in South Korea each day in a conventional war.” 

I mean a conventional war, let alone a nuclear war! This is why we must do our best to avoid a war.]

Thus, it is critically important to make concerted and pro-active efforts to improve the military and security situation on the Korean Peninsula, while realizing that we cannot and should not go back to the past, more precisely, to the dangerous situation in 2017, just one and a half years ago. 

III. Conclusion: Way Forward with a Message of Hope for Peace

Ladies and gentlemen,

As I conclude with a message of hope for peace, I would like to address the next natural question: that is what to do going forward. 

Last month on June 13th President Moon Jae-in laid out his “Peace for the People” vision at the Oslo Forum in Norway where he repeated his readiness to meet with Chairman Kim Jung-un again.

Two weeks ago on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Osaka, President Moon Jae-in met with his Chinese and Russian counterparts, President Xi Jinping and President Vladimir Putin, respectively to exchange views on how to facilitate the stalled peace process.

And, most importantly, President Moon Jae-in and his American counterpart, President Donald Trump, held a successful summit in Seoul on June 30th following the G20 summit.

Ladies, and gentlemen,

As you are well aware, the historic moment came after President Trump’s spontaneous invitation to Chairman Kim to shake hands at the Demilitarized Zone, the last relic of the Cold War.

Indeed, it was amazing to witness history in the making, as President Trump became the first sitting U.S. President to step into North Korea after having become the first sitting U.S. President to meet with the North Korean leader in Singapore last year. Also it was the very first time in history that the leaders of two Koreas and the United States met together at Panmunjeom.

What is the most encouraging out of the 1-on-1 meeting between President Trump and Chairman Kim is that the two leaders agreed to reactivate the stalled peace and denuclearization process in about two weeks.

While we celebrate the good news, we should always be mindful that the process would be a long and hard one.

In 1963 after signing the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, President Kennedy addressed the United Nations right here in this building, where he said: (quote) “Peace is a daily, a weekly, a monthly process, gradually changing opinions, slowly eroding old barriers, quietly building new structures. And however undramatic the pursuit of peace, that pursuit must go on.” (Unquote)

Bearing this in mind, the Korean government will continue to work closely with the international community, especially, the U.S. government, to achieve peace and denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula.

As Helen Keller said, (Quote) “Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence.” (Unquote) We will do our best to finally achieve our goal with optimism, hope, and confidence.

In this regard, your kind understanding and support for this critical process will always be highly appreciated.

So, I will stop here and give the floor to Professor Grant for his wonderful presentation. Thank you for your kind attention!