열린장관실

Lord Richard, President Han Seung-soo, Distinguished Guests,

It gives me great pleasure to host this luncheon in honour of the esteemed participants in the Eleventh Meeting of the Korea-UK Forum for the Future.  In particular, I warmly welcome the members of the UK delegation, who have traveled a long way to be with us in Seoul today.

This Eleventh Meeting provides an opportune moment to reflect on the future of the Korea-UK partnership against the background of major international events over the past year since the last meeting in Cambridge.  It is also worthy of note that this year marks the tenth anniversary of the launch of the Forum, and I congratulate all the members of the Forum on this milestone. On a personal note, having taken office as Foreign Minister just two months ago, I hope that this occasion will provide a valuable chance to forge ties with the opinion leaders of our two countries present today.

Since its launch in 1993, the Forum has served as an invaluable vehicle for the promotion of Korea-UK ties.  It has become synonymous with serious joint efforts by our two countries to identify and help to give shape to an ideal bilateral Korea-UK relationship for the future. Many leading figures in Korea and the UK from the governmental, political, business, academic, cultural fields as well as the press have been actively participating in the Forum.

The well-thought-out advice and recommendations from the Forum have greatly enriched our perceptions of the future of Korea-UK relations and helped policy makers of the two governments to broaden their horizons.  Given the increasing importance of non-official, non-governmental contacts between countries in the global age, the Forum is certain to play an even greater role in bringing our nations together in the coming years.   

Taking this opportunity, I wish to extend my sincere gratitude to the Presidents and Chairmen of both the Korean and the UK sides for their dedication and hard work in the interests of furthering the Forums activities.

Distinguished Guests,

Since this meeting comes just two months after the inauguration of our new government, I would like to give you a brief overview of the  Policy for Peace and Prosperity  of the Korean government.

 The Policy for Peace and Prosperity , as it has been termed by President Roh Moo-hyun, share the broad framework of the previous governments Sunshine Policy, but it places greater emphasis on transparency, national consensus and reciprocity from North Korea. Furthermore, the policy goes beyond the bounds of the Korean peninsula, and envisages Korea playing an active role in building a more prosperous Northeast Asia.

As the peaceful resolution of the North Korean nuclear issue is prerequisite to the successful pursuit of this new policy, the Korean government has exerted every effort to help bring the North Korean nuclear issue to a peaceful conclusion.

As a result of the international communitys collective endeavours, a multilateral framework for dialogue has recently been set up in the form of the trilateral meeting between North Korea, China and the US, the first round of which was held in Beijing.  We will carefully examine the results of the meeting and try to come up with the best way to deal with the  North Korean nuclear issue in close coordination with our allies, including the United Kingdom.

The dialogue process that ensures the peaceful resolution of the North Korean nuclear issue will bring us to the next stage in the  Policy for Peace and Prosperity , where we will lay the groundwork to build the Korean peninsula into an economic hub in Northeast Asia.

Such endeavors signify our desire to transform the Korean peninsula, which has for so many years been home to serious tension and even conflicts, into an area that plays a pivotal role in the promotion of peace and prosperity in the whole of Northeast Asia.  At the same time, we know full well that a strong and competitive economy is part and parcel of our efforts to realize the goals of the  Policy for Peace and Prosperity . Accordingly, the Korean government will accelerate the process of reforming the economic system, thus creating a more business-friendly environment.

Distinguished Guests,

Korea and the UK share a long history of friendship and cooperation which now goes back more than a century. The UK has always been a friend for Korea in time of needs - as a staunch ally during the Korean War, as a helping hand in the financial crisis several years ago, and as an abiding supporter of our policy towards North Korea.

Korea and the UK have also enjoyed an increasingly rewarding relationship in the field of the economy as well. The exchanges and cooperation between the businesses of our two countries in aerospace, software, biotechnology, e-commerce and venture capital have been expanding. I am pleased to note that the trend of ever-winding economic collaboration between our two countries has firmly set in for the 21st century.

We are living in a world in a state of constant flux. Our respective regions are no exception as they are both undergoing significant change. Last week, the Accession Treaty was signed between the European Union and ten candidate countries, paving the way for the new members to participate in May 2004. The EU is to emerge, with 25 member states, as the largest economic bloc in the world. In parallel, Northeast Asia has emerged as one of the worlds three principal economic centers alongside the EU and North America.

The UK is one of the key countries that plays a leading role in the evolution of the EU while Korea is actively seeking an increasingly meaningful role in the development of a peaceful and prosperous Northeast Asia. These respective roles of our two countries speak volumes about the need to redouble our efforts to further strengthen the Korea-UK partnership, not only for the well-being of our two nations but also for better cooperation between the economic centers to which we belong.

Distinguished Guests,

I am certain that this Eleventh Meeting of the Forum will make a substantial contribution towards the promotion of Korea-UK ties, exploring every avenue to establish a future-oriented partnership and to realize the potential for bilateral cooperation between us to the full.

In closing, I would like to refer to a famous Churchillian quote: a pessimist always finds the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist always finds the opportunity in every difficulty.  I happen to be an optimist, and I believe that we can overcome the difficult situation which has arisen as a result of the North Korean nuclear issue, turning it into an opportunity to establish a lasting peace on the Korean peninsula.  However, we will be unable to achieve this goal without sustained support from the international community. In particular, we will continue to count on the UKs unfailing support as we seek a peaceful solution to the North Korean nuclear issue, and work towards the establishment of a lasting peace on the Korean peninsula.

Distinguished Guests,

May I now propose a toast to the success of this Forum and to an everlasting friendship between the United Kingdom and the Republic of Korea.

Thank you.