President Park vows efforts to in-crease international cooperation
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President Park vows efforts to in-crease international cooperation
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입력 2013.11.26 10:59
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In her address at the National Assembly plenary session
President Park vows efforts to in-
crease international cooperation
President Park Geun-hye said that she will strengthen the diplomatic power of the Republic of Korea, increasing foreign direct investment in Korea through a sales diplomacy and helping Korean businesses participate in infrastructure construction and other businesses in the overseas market. She said that she will also try to help the Korean business jointly entering the third countries together with industrialized nations. President made the speech at the National Assembly in Seoul on Nov. 18, 2013.
She said that when her new government started in February this year, the Korean economy had been making a zero growth for the seven consecutive quarters. In order to improve this situation, she recalled, the new government drew up a supplementary budget plan for 17.3 trillion won and used a special measure to rekindle real estate market. The government also took steps to encourage investment by the businesses and increase export by small and medium industries.
Such measures, she noted, started taking effect and made the economic growth to a one-percent level in the past two consecutive quarters, including increase of employment by 400,000 persons for three months in a row and boosting exports to over US$50 billion a month last October for the first time in the history of Korea.
Then she said that she will shift the paradigm of economic development from Korea’s pursuit after advanced countries to one where Korea will lead the development through creative economy.
“During my tour of the European countries,” she said, “I personally learned how the United King, France and other member countries of the European Union attained enormous value-added and created new jobs through creative economy.” “There I became fully convinced the direction where the Korean creative economy should proceed.”
Elaborating on the creative economy of Korea, President Park emphatically said, “I will now boldly eliminate the restrictions and control that may be in the way obstructing the smooth fusion among different businesses.” Then she said that she will substantially increase technological and fund assistance so that good ideas will be industrially and commercially utilized in various fields, including medical service, culture, environment, maritime industry, food and agriculture. “For this purpose,” she disclosed, “the government will increase the budget of these industries by 12% to 6.5 trillion won,” she disclosed.
On the cultural area, President Park disclosed her plan to create a Culture Promotion Committee under the direct control of the President increase the budget for the culture to 5.3 trillion won that accounts for 1.5% of the total amount of the national budget.
“We understand that Europe leads the culture of the world,” said Park, “and in Europe I saw the young people excited about the Hallyu Korean Wave such as K-POP, Korean movies and dramas, which confirmed that boundless possibilities of the cultural industry.”
On the problems of the Korean peninsula, President Park said, “At this time, it appears that we have a very long way to go to the peaceful unification of the Korean peninsula but that it is something we must attain at all cost.” I pledge that I will build a firm base before the end of my tenure based on which we can attain the peaceful unification of the country. Then she promised all possible efforts to help North Korean become a responsible member of the international community.
President Park then stressed the importance of the process of trust building between the Republic of Korea (South) and North Korea and realization of the denuclearization of North Korea.
Then she disclosed an ambitious plan of construction of the EurAsian Railroad, ‘Silk Road Express (SRX), starting from the Busan Metropolitan City of the Republic of Korea and extending all the way to Europe via North Korea, the Russian Federation, China and Central Asia. “I am sure that this new Silk Road will open an avenue leading to the peaceful unification of the Korean peninsula.”
On the domestic political situation, President Park pledged her effort to disclose all the details of various problems and allegations to the people and hold the people involved in the cases responsible as soon as the judiciary authorities pass their judgment on the cases. “It is high time that we put an end to confrontation and conflict and I plead that you will have trust in the determination of the government and wait for the judgment of the judiciary authorities on the issues.
On the relations between the Administration and the National Assembly, President Park said, “The Administration and the National Assembly should maintain the relationship of mutual control and balance and seek productive cooperation between them.” Then she said that the National Assembly was the center of politics and that there was nothing that could not be discussed and resolved in the National Assembly.
“If the ruling and opposition parties fully discuss the different issues and problems between them and find solutions,” said promised, “I will follow such decisions.” Then she said, “If the National Assembly arrives at a decision on the basis of agreement between the ruling and opposition camps, I will regard them as the will of the people and follow them.”
Political, media responses to President Park?
parliamentary address
Conservative camp
The conservative-oriented Korean-language daily Dong-A Ilbo said on Nov. 19, 2013 that when President Park entered the main hall immediately after the declaration of the opening of the session by Speaker Kang Chang-Hee, the ruling Saenuri Party lawmakers all stood up from their seats and gave her a big round of hand but the opposition Democratic Party (DP) lawmakers gave no applause although they, too, stood up. Excerpts from the Dong-A report follow:
There even were some DP Assemblymen (Reps. Chung Se-Kyun and Lee In-young) stayed seated and a total of 28 DP lawmakers did not even come to the main conference hall not to hear the speech of President Park.
The Saenuri Party lawmakers gave an applause on 33 different occasions throughout the 30-minute Presidential speech, but the opposition lawmakers gave no applause from the beginning and end of Park’s speech. Rep. Moon Jae-in of the DP, former Presidential candidate (against the then ruling party Presidential Candidate Park Geun-hye), silently listened to Park with his eyes moving between Park and the monitor screen.
Out-and-out opposition United Progressive Party lawmakers all wore a white mask with Minju (‘Democracy’) written on it in black letters. When the other lawmakers gave a big round of hand, UPP Assemblyman Kim Sun-dong raised up a small placard reading, “Stop Your Move to Dissolve the Political Party” (meaning the UPP).
Independent lawmaker, Rep. Ahn Cheol-soo stood up when President Park entered and main conference hall and again when she left the room. Rep. Ahn gave an applause when President Park said, “I will come again and speak at every regular session of the National Assembly.” After she finished her speech, she came down from the rostrum and offered to shake hands with Rep. Kim Yun-deok (DP) sitting at the front row. Kim reluctantly held her hand but kept seated at his seat.
In contrast, all the Saenuri Party lawmakers continued to give President Park a standing ovation until she had completely gone. Rep. Cho Kyung-tae of DP stood up seeing off Park walking out of the conference room but, in a strange contrast, the well-known Saenuri Party lawmaker, Lee Hae-O (former President Lee Myung-bak’s righthandman) remained seated like the other DP lawmakers who kept seated.
Opposition response: In contrast, opposition-oriented Korean-language daily, Hankyoreh Shinmun, said on Nov. 19, 2013 that President Park Geun-hye made many remarks that reminded the audience of the period of rule by her father, the late former President Park Chung-Hee. The representative opposition newspaper said that President Park, who repeated the expression of “Miracle on the Han River” four times at her inaugural address last February reminding the people of her father’s achievements, appeared to be trying to arouse reminiscent feelings among the conservatives to cause them to remember the ‘good old days’ of her father’s rule. Excerpts follow:
President Park mentioned the Koreans working in the construction sites in the Middle East, fighting in Vietnam and mining in coal pits in West Germany to make ‘seed money’ needed in achieving economic development during the rule of her father in the 1960s and 1970s. Then she said that in order to realize the economic achievements once again workers she needed the members of the National Assembly join her effort to attain economic development like the one in the past.
President Park revealed that she would carry on the achievements of her father for a ‘Second Miracle of the Han River’ when she stressed the importance of materializing the Creative Economy which was one of the major items of her election pledges.
Almost in all her major speeches, President Park uses expressions reminding of the days of her father, which indicates that she is not quite free from her reliance on her father. Professor Han In-sup of the Seoul National University College of Law said President Park had better call herself “Park Chung-Hee the Second."