Chairman Chey Tae-won,

Ambassador Park In-kook, Dr. Gary Samore,

Dr. Jia Qingguo, Distinguished Participants,



It is a great honor and privilege for me to be able to say a few words at the opening of the Trilateral Dialogue. I thank the Korea Foundation for Advanced Studies for having me at this meaningful forum. I am especially happy to see so many familiar faces in this hall, and am reminded of a saying in 論語 (Analects of Confucius), 有朋自遠方來, 不亦樂乎 which means,“When friends come from distant places, is it not a joy?”

The Korea Foundation for Advanced Studies deserves special recognition not only for bringing together such an impressive group of scholars, but also for choosing a very timely and critical theme:“Opportunities and Challenges for US-China-Korea Cooperation.”

Looking at the situation in and around our three countries, I would like to begin by sharing some of my thoughts about the challenges for the trilateral cooperation.

The first challenge which comes to my mind is our domestic changes. I am sure everyone in this room is well aware of the kind of changes our three countries are going through, including Korea’s shifting political landscape, which needs no further elaboration.

Across the Pacific, the American people share hopes for change with the new administration. With a vision of putting“America First,”President Trump has set out various plans to translate into action his pledge to“Make America Great Again.”

This year will also witness significant political transitions in China, culminating in the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party later in the year. The eyes of the region - and indeed the whole world - will very much be on whether President Xi Jinping manages to consolidate power and whether domestic political imperatives lead to a more assertive or aggressive foreign policy.

If there is one element of certainty to be found in this ocean of uncertainty, it is that these domestic changes will present significant headwinds in our voyage toward advancing trilateral cooperation.

Unsurprisingly, the next challenge facing our three countries is North Korea. When Kim Jong-un took power upon his father’s death in December 2011, there were some hopes that North Korea might go through some change in policy goals and leadership style, given Kim Jong-un’s exposure to the Western culture during his childhood in Switzerland.

However, what little hope there had been was soon dashed as Kim Jong-un proceeded on to the path toward a full-fledged nuclear-weapon state. While North Korea’s nuclear capacity has been nearing the final stage of weaponization with 2 nuclear tests and 24 ballistic missile tests just last year alone, the young leader in Pyongyang has threatened Korea and the US with preemptive nuclear strikes.

In his New Year’s address this year, he also threatened to test-launch an ICBM capable of hitting the US continent. Just last week, North Korea launched an intermediate-range ballistic missile using SLBM technology, which once again demonstrates North Korea’s clear intention to continue to develop nuclear and missile capabilities including ICBM. The rapidly growing North Korean nuclear threat is unquestionably the most imminent challenge for peace and security not only of the Korean Peninsula, but also the Asia-Pacific region and beyond.

The last - of course not the least - challenge facing our three countries relates to our economic prosperity. Since China joined the WTO in 2001, the growth and prosperity of our three economies have been fueled in no small measure by open and free trade. Despite occasional differences, expanding free trade and access to each other’s markets were widely accepted as the right way forward.

Recently, however, the very foundations which have underpinned decades of shared prosperity have been called into question. Some argue that the benefits and drawbacks of free trade need to be reviewed. In certain cases, allegedly- geopolitically-motivated trade-restrictive measures are being taken, doing damage to the principle of free trade.

Despite these obstacles, the English phrase “two sides of the same coin”clearly tells us to turn these challenges into opportunities for the trilateral cooperation.

In case of Korea, if history is any guide, I strongly believe that Korea will emerge even stronger and more resilient politically as well as economically. Korea is no stranger to predicaments - for instance, the Korean War and the Asian financial crisis most recently. Yet time and again, the Korean people have successfully prevailed over these hardships.

As for the United States, the strength of American democracy lies in that the government goes through a new learning curve with the Presidential election held every four years. It ensures the voices of its people are heard while periodically giving those voices the chance to be harnessed toward positive goals.

As President Trump was elected on the basis of this mature political system, I hope and believe that the new administration will make meaningful contributions not just to making America great again but also to making the world safer and more prosperous.

As for China, I am hopeful and confident that Beijing will remain committed to the strengthening of partnerships with its neighbors on the basis of“亲(amity), 诚(sincerity), 惠(mutual benefit), and 容(inclusiveness),”which are the pillars of China’s diplomacy proclaimed by the leadership. I trust that China’s diplomacy will continue to be guided by this vision, which I strongly hope will be translated into actual policy choices.

When it comes to North Korea, our three countries are already bound together by the shared goal of a nuclear-free North Korea. Last year, we responded with one voice against North Korea’s provocations, as highlighted by the unanimous adoption of UN Security Council resolutions 2270 and 2321. The full implementation of these resolutions by the international community, including three of us, will be the foundation for realizing our goal of denuclearizing North Korea.

Finally, with regard to economic prosperity, history is replete with cautionary lessons about how trade barriers actually slow economic growth and even adversely impact national security. Free trade is certainly no panacea. However, if we are not to repeat the mistakes of the past as exemplified by the outbreak of World War II, we had better continue to honor the principle of free trade for our common prosperity.

In conclusion, I would like to emphasize that dialogue among our three countries is essential to transforming challenges into opportunities for the trilateral cooperation. That is exactly why today’s forum is all the more important. In the end, preferably in the forseeable future, I strongly believe that our three governments should be able to upgrade the trilateral dialogue to the level of Track 1. Indeed, without such an inter-governmental trilateral dialogue, we all will lose the benefits which can be brought by coordination and cooperation among three of us.

Let me finish my remarks with one final thought based on my own experiences as a career diplomat for more than 35 years. Whenever I was at a conference table for difficult negotiations, I always used to tell myself and my counterparts that all the problems on the table are not created by God but are man-made. Therefore, when we join hands and tap fully into our collective wisdom, solutions will always be found. On that optimistic note, I wish this conference a great success.

Thank you.