Chairman Shin,
Vice President Nagorski,
Prime Minister Lee Hong-ku,
Minister Han Sung-joo,
Ambassador Hyun Hong-choo,
Distinguished guests,

As amply demonstrated by tonight’s MC, Ministry of Foreign Affairs takes a great pride and joy in working closely with the Asia Society, both here in Seoul and in New York, towards the vision of promoting mutual understanding and strengthening partnerships between Asia and the United States. I myself had been a member of the Asia Society in New York when I was at the Korean Mission to the United Nations about 20 years ago, and in February this year had the privilege of addressing the distinguished members of the Asia Society at the “Asia Rising and Our Shared Future” dialogue.

Among all the contributions the Asia Society has been making in terms of networking, I believe the Asia 21 Young Leaders Summit is particularly meaningful as it aims to prepare for the future - that is, to bring together young leaders across all sectors with the commitment and vision to shape a brighter future for the Asia-Pacific region.

I am especially happy to be a part of tonight’s event because this year marks the 10th anniversary of this important gathering. As some of you may recall, it was in Korea where the first Asia 21 Young Leaders Summit was held in 2006. On behalf of the Korean Government, I would like to extend a very warm welcome once again to all the young leaders taking part in this Summit.

I have seen the impressive program the Asia Society has prepared for this year’s Summit, and decided to say just a few words as food for thought on changes and continuity during the past 10 years.

If I may start with changes, I believe that the foremost change has been the development of information technology. With the emergence of mobile networks, we now enjoy ubiquitous connection to the internet and instant access to information. Social network services have made it possible for people to stay connected without any geographical restrictions. In other words, connectivity has emerged as a key factor to be highlighted whenever a blueprint for the future is crafted.

Second, the rise of Asia has become much more evident in the past 10 years. In particular, Asia has become a real locomotive of global economic growth. According to the IMF, Asia’s economy is expected to grow 5.3% in 2016, accounting for almost two-thirds of the global economic growth. Also, over the last 10 years, Asia’s share in global GDP has risen from 27% to 39% and Asia’s trade volume has increased from 28% to 33% according to the WTO. All these statistics clearly show that any discourse on the future of the world without addressing Asia will be futile.

Third, if we narrow down our focus on to the Korean peninsula, Korea has emerged as one of the major IT and cultural hubs in the world during the past 10 years. Now, Korea is a global leader in internet connectivity with the world’s fastest average internet connection speed. Also, Korean dramas or songs have gained a wide popularity in Asia and beyond as evidenced by “Gangnam Style”. Indeed, Korea’s success story since the ceasefire of the Korean War in the early 1950s amply demonstrates what can be achieved by the inter-dependent ties of the alliance between Seoul and Washington.

There are, of course, things which remain unchanged over the past 10 years. First and foremost, it’s North Korea. When Kim Jong-un took power in December 2011, we had hoped that Pyongyang would change its strategic calculation and take the path toward denuclearization. But the new regime continued to engage in military provocations including 2 nuclear tests and 24 ballistic missiles launches just this year alone. In response, the international community has maintained a united front, exerting pressure upon North Korea and adopting a series of UN Security Council Resolutions including the Resolution 2321 approved unanimously just about a week ago. Of course, we are not pressuring Pyongyang just for the sake of exerting pressure. However, until such time comes as North Korea opts for the path of denuclearization and comes to the dialogue table for meaningful talks on denuclearization, we will continue to place strong pressure and sanctions on Pyongyang.

Second, the world has witnessed, as Walter Russell Mead put it, “the return of geopolitics” in recent years. Today’s world looks less like the post Cold War era when there were talks of “peace dividend” as old fashioned power rivalry is taking a center stage in Ukraine, the Middle East and other parts of the world. To make matters even more complicated, major countries including the U.S. and the U.K. are going through changes in their domestic politics as people pay more attention to the downside of globalization.

These are just a few snapshots of the world where we live. During the next two days, I　hope and believe that the young leaders gathered here tonight will come up with creative and visionary ideas which will benefit the Asia-Pacific region and beyond in overcoming various difficulties and challenges.

As someone who has engaged in diplomacy for more than 35 years, let me offer one final thought before I close on the basis of what I went through during the past 35 years.

Whenever I was beginning a very difficult negotiation throughout my career, I always tell myself and sometimes have told my counterparts the following.

All the problems and challenges we are faced with are not created by God, but they are all man-made. Therefore, when we join hands and gather our wisdom, there will always be a solution.

So, let us be optimistic, and I once again wish the 2016 Asia 21 Young Leaders Summit a great success.

Thank you.