President s Remarks
President s
Remarks
on
Inter-Korean Relations
from
the Presidential Inaugural Speech
Followings are 17th-term president
of the Republic of Korea Lee Myung-bak s remarks on Inter-Korean relations
from his presidential inaugural speech, Together we shall open a road to advancement.
I
will strengthen our security and lay the foundation for peaceful unification.
I will faithfully carry out our duties to the international community
and contribute to the prosperity of all peoples.
.
As the
President of this great nation, at this juncture when we are beginning another
60 years of the Republic, I hereby declare the year 2008 as the starting year
for the advancement of the Republic of Korea.
.
Unification
of the two Koreas is the long-cherished desire of the 70 million Korean people.
Inter-Korean relations must become more productive than they are now.
Our attitude will be pragmatic, not ideological.
The core task
is to help all Koreans live happily
and to prepare the foundation for
unification.
As already stipulated in my "Denuclearization and
Opening up North Korea to Achieve US$3,000 in Per Capita Income, once North
Korea abandons its nuclear program and chooses the path to openness,
we
can expect to see a new horizon in inter-Korean cooperation.
Along with
the international community,
we will provide assistance so that we can
raise the per capita income of North Korea to US$3,000 within 10 years.
That,
I believe, will both benefit our brethren in the North as well as be the way
to advance unification.
Together, the leaders of the two Koreas, must
contemplate what they can do to make the lives of all 70 million Koreans
happy and how each side can respect each other and open the door to unification.
If it is to discuss these issues, then I believe the two leaders should
meet whenever necessary and talk openly, with an open mind.
Indeed,
the opportunity is open.
//End of Document//
