“The Korean administration will work to further advance our bilateral relationship on the basis of a mutually beneficial partnership in which we can learn and grow together,” said President Park Geun-hye in her recent contribution to New Vision, a newspaper in Uganda.

In the letter published on May 27, President Park said, “As President of the Republic of Korea, I hope my visit will be an important milestone in opening a new chapter of cooperation with Uganda as it marches on the path toward dynamic development.”

President Park went on to say that, “Through the guidance of our leaders and the aspirations of our people, Korea and Uganda have both overcome past colonial rule and war and are now pursuing a common path toward national development and happiness for the people.” She said she hopes for a stronger partnership between the two countries in the future.

The president then outlined ways to further enhance bilateral cooperation. She said there should be more cooperation on infrastructure and on new industrial sectors, such as IT and online government services. She said there should be more cooperation on the New Community Movement, or Saemaul Undong, a series of rural and agricultural development policies. She said there should be more cooperation on Korea Aid, the government’s newest overseas aid program that combines health care, food relief and media content. Lastly, she said there should be more cooperation on defense and the defense industries.

President Park said that Uganda was “the first East African nation that Korea established diplomatic relations with,” stressing that, “I believe that our long history of diplomatic ties will be matched by numerous opportunities for cooperation and great benefits as a result.”

She concluded by saying that, “Just as the African proverb says, ‘If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together,’ I hope that Korea and Uganda will travel far together, as we walk along the same path. I hope that my visit here will prove to be an invaluable opportunity to take our mutually beneficial cooperation to the next level.”

By Sohn JiAe
Korea.net Staff Writer
jiae5853@korea.kr