President Park Geun-hye emphasized that the Korean Peninsula should be transformed into a land of hope, created through the reunification of the country. President Park said these words during the opening ceremony of the Asian Leadership Conference in Seoul on March 3.

“There will be no fear of war or threat of nuclear attack in a unified Korea. The people of both Koreas will enjoy their lives as they desire in a free and peaceful land. Everyone will work together for prosperity and cooperation across Asia,” said the president.

“I dream of a united Korea that would create new growth engines and points of prosperity across all of East Asia and link the new, reunified Korean Peninsula with the rest of the Eurasian continent. Reunification of the Korean Peninsula will create a new future for the region, for Northeast Asia and for the world,“ said President Park.



In regard to the family reunion meetings that were resumed last month, President Park said, “The two Koreas need to open an era of reunification and create a hopeful future so that the lifetime of wishes that the aging separated families have is not in vain.” The president said that the road to unification would be closer if Pyongyang were to give up its nuclear weapons program. “Both Koreas will be able to open a new era of reunification with great happiness if the North gives up its nuclear weapons, wins back the confidence of the international community and develops the inter-Korean relationship,” she added.

Mentioning the case of Germany, she said, “In order to be ready for the moment when reunification of the Korean Peninsula happens, we each need to be ready on an individual basis.” She emphasized that her administration will substantially and measurably seek a future direction for unification, present a blueprint for a unified Korea and carry out concrete preparations for the actual process of unification and integration with the launch of a presidential committee on unification.

“I will work hard for both the Northeast Asian peace initiative, which aims to overcome tension and conflict in Northeast Asia, and the Eurasia initiative, which hopes to make both Europe and Asia one continent through exchanges and opening. These visions can create a virtuous cycle of co-prosperity across the region and lead toward the peaceful unification of the Korean Peninsula,“ said the president.

By Yoon Sojung
Korea.net Staff Writer
arete@korea.kr