Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2001-12-11-Speech-2-244"
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"en.20011211.16.2-244"2
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".– Madam President, Commissioner Prodi, distinguished guests.
Furthermore, productive welfare strives to improve the overall quality of life for its citizens. In particular, we place high priority on a thorough and systematic curriculum for educating the young as well as the disadvantaged, to enable them to acquire information capabilities. This effort involves a broad spectrum of people, including elementary and middle school students, millions of housewives, 600 000 members of the armed forces, the elderly, as well as the disabled and prison inmates. With this policy, we are trying to prevent the digital divide from becoming wider, which would create a gap in earnings. And we are determined to cut off the vicious circle of poverty being handed down from generation to generation, parent to child. Korea built the first nationwide high-speed information network in the world. As a result, more than half of the 46 million citizens are now active users of the Internet.
To identify and effectively resolve the problem of the digital divide, international awareness and cooperation are vital. I believe that advanced nations, including the members of the EU, must use their leadership to help developing countries, by providing various kinds of support, including the construction of a viable information infrastructure. Korea will actively participate. We have, in fact, already begun cooperating with individual countries.
Now I would like to touch on the future of Korea and the EU. I proposed the construction of a high-speed information network at the Asia-Europe summit meeting in Seoul last year. I am pleased to remind you that the leaders of all the member nations gave it their active support. Under this project, we are envisaging the creation of a "Cyber Silk Road" linking Asia and Europe. It is a project for the new millennium aimed at furthering the exchanges between Asia and Europe by setting in place an "e-EurAsia". In this respect, it is very fortunate that the Trans-Eurasian Information Network project is proceeding smoothly at present with the cooperation of all ASEM member nations, as well as the EU member nations.
There is another project that would greatly promote exchanges between Europe and Asia. This is none other than the construction of an "Iron Silk Road", directly linking Korea with Europe by land. For this project, one thing must be done – the linking of the railway between South and North Korea. This railway has been severed at the Demilitarised Zone for the past 50 years. On the occasion of the historic inter-Korean summit last year, the two Koreas agreed to relink this railway, as well as an adjacent highway. If we manage to link the remaining 14 kilometres of this railway, South Korea and Europe will finally be connected.
When the trans-Korean railway (TKR) is linked with the trans-China or the trans-Siberia railways, a train leaving London could reach Seoul and Busan via Paris, Eastern Europe, Central Asia and Siberia or China. Then, goods could be shipped to all parts of the Pacific region, and beyond, from Busan, which also happens to be the third largest container port in the world. Transportation costs would be cut by 30% and time shortened by one third.
On the day we achieve our plans for an e-EurAsia and complete our "Iron Silk Road", Asia and Europe will, for all practical purposes, become one landmass.
Geographically, Asia and Europe have always formed one landmass. Historically, they have been interacting for a long time. From the 5th and 6th centuries onwards, a large number of people and goods have travelled by land over the Silk Road and by sea through the Indian Ocean and Persian Gulf. History shows us that the cultures of the two regions have contributed to and influenced each other considerably, as they both developed.
In modern times, the West's democratic system of governance, the industrial revolution and cultural achievements have exerted great influence on the politics, economy and culture of Asia. Meanwhile, Asia, as the birthplace and cradle of three of the major civilisations, namely the Tigris-Euphrates, Indus and Yellow River civilisations, and the spiritual centre of Confucianism and Buddhism, greatly influenced the entire world, including Europe. We all know that gunpowder and paper originated in Asia and then travelled to Europe. The political system featuring a centralised government, which has been prevalent in Asia, had a tremendous impact on the way Europeans governed themselves.
Today, Asia and Europe are pursuing the common goals of promoting democracy and market economies.
Three-quarters of the world's population now live in these two regions. Economically, they produce half the world's products. It is very important for Asia and Europe to deepen mutual understanding and cooperate further, not only for the development and prosperity of the two regions but also for the peace and prosperity of the world. This is the goal and ideal of ASEM. I am convinced that close cooperation between Korea and the EU will help put into effect this ideal of ASEM and greatly contribute to efforts to bind Asia and Europe closer together.
It is with deep emotion that I stand here on this podium today. I have always admired the European Parliament, this great hall of democracy and the very symbol of European unity. This is the place where the unprecedented and monumental task of bringing the countries of Europe together was achieved. Here, the Members of the European Parliament are working for the realisation of democracy, economic prosperity and social justice in Europe and throughout the world.
The EU is a very important and substantive economic partner for Korea. It is the number one foreign investor in Korea and the third largest trade partner for Korea. Nonetheless, the room for expansion of trade and investment between Korea and the EU is boundless. Korea is located in the middle of a huge market that includes the United States, Japan, China and Russia. Its business and investment climate has been improved greatly through continuous economic reform. It also possesses ample human resources and is equipped with the economic infrastructure suited to the knowledge-based economies of the 21st century. I hope that the EU and Korea will continue to expand their cooperative partnership in the huge East Asia market with Korea as a bridgehead for the EU, as it advances into countries like Japan and China. When this happens, we will no doubt score a "win-win success".
As you know, the Korea-EU Framework Agreement took effect last April. A systematic mechanism for further strengthening practical cooperation in such areas as investment and trade is now in place. On the parliamentary level, the Korean-EU Parliamentarians' Council was formed and annually discusses ways to develop Korea-EU relations. In the process of negotiating the Doha Development Agenda, Korea and the EU cooperated closely. Let me assure you that Korea will continue to step up its cooperation with the EU.
As you know, the world is currently experiencing a global economic downturn. We must now reduce our dependence on the United States for our exports and open other avenues, while stimulating domestic demand. The flexible management of our financial policy is necessary to stimulate domestic demand. We must also push economic and social policies to raise the purchasing power of low-income families. In addition, we must push for more active and large-scale trade and investment between big markets like the EU and East Asia. Korea is opening its doors to EU members. And we also want actively to advance into the EU markets. Thus, I hope that both Korea and the EU will be able to overcome today's economic downturn through mutual cooperation and jointly pave the way towards a new and common prosperity.
I would now like to take this opportunity to tell you about the issues surrounding the Korean Peninsula, in which you have taken great interest and given support. Peace on the Korean Peninsula is an issue that concerns not only the 70 million Korean people – it is also directly linked to peace and stability in the East Asian region and the world. I have consistently pushed the Sunshine Policy to prevent war and settle peace on the Korean Peninsula. And, at last, the historic inter-Korean summit was held in June last year.
The crux of our Sunshine Policy calls for peaceful coexistence and peaceful exchange and cooperation between the two Koreas. After a period of time, perhaps ten or 20 years, when the peoples of the South and North have come to trust each other and feel comfortable with each other, we hope to accomplish our ultimate goal of peaceful unification.
Unification will come. The Korean people lived in a unified country for over 1 300 years from the seventh century. It is unimaginable that we should abandon our desire for unification just because we have been separated for the past half-century. As long as the Korean people ardently wish for unification, and as long as support from you and the world continues, I am firmly convinced that we will be able to unify our country in the not-too- distant future.
The EU has been taking part in the Korean Peninsula Energy Development Organisation (KEDO) and has offered a range of humanitarian and economic assistance to North Korea. It is also pursuing an array of diverse activities, including technological assistance and training programmes, for the North Koreans. Many EU members are actively supporting our efforts for peace on the Peninsula by establishing diplomatic relations with North Korea. In May this year, when the inter-Korean relationship experienced a temporary setback, an EU delegation, led by Swedish Prime Minister Goran Persson and including EU Commissioner for External Relations, Chris Patten, visited North Korea and helped us resume our dialogue.
The EU is an important supporter of peace on the Korean Peninsula and exchanges and cooperation between the South and North. You, the Members of the European Parliament are genuine friends of the Korean people. I earnestly hope that your unsparing support will continue until the day when peace is settled and the first ray of unification shines over the Korean Peninsula.
Right now, the world is gripped with anxiety, and we are filled with tension over the recent terrorist attack. This attack on the United States in September brought enormous shock and sorrow to all. Terrorism does not declare itself before striking, terrorism is faceless and terrorism indiscriminately kills innocent civilians. It is the most cowardly and cruel act one can imagine. Under no circumstances should such acts be justified or condoned. If we are unable to root out terrorism, the international order will collapse, and individuals will lose their lives. Terrorism must be eradicated. In this connection, I would like to praise the quick actions of the European Union in response to the attacks and for cooperating with the international community's efforts. Korea is also participating in the international coalition to eradicate terrorism, and we will continue to do so.
However, no religion or culture should be regarded with hostility under any circumstances. We must keep this in mind as we carry on our war against terrorism. On the contrary, we must work to strengthen dialogue and cooperation among different religions and cultures. We must eliminate the fundamental causes of terrorism, first of all, by eliminating the gap between the rich and poor and addressing the social inequalities that are getting wider every day. Achieving peace in the Middle East is one of the most important and urgent tasks in front of us.
It is therefore my great pleasure and honour to speak from this most distinguished place. I am deeply grateful, moreover, to you, Madam President, for your kind and gracious words of welcome.
People around the world are craving peace and a renewed sense of security. Peace and security is the task of our time.
In this respect, I attach great significance to the World Cup games that are going to be held in Korea and Japan next year. We would like to make next year's World Cup a great turning point for establishing global peace and guaranteeing security for all peoples once again. The Korean people and I will do our utmost to make the 2002 World Cup games the safest games ever. We will make them a festival in which all people around the world will take part for peace and unity. We will give humanity hope for the future.
There are only six more months to the opening of the World Cup. Of the 32 competing nations, 10 are EU members. I hope many of you will visit Korea then to watch your teams. We will soon complete our preparations and wait for you. For those of you who will watch the games on TV, we are putting state-of-the-art facilities and measures in place so that we can vividly transmit the lively action to you in images and in real time. We will stage the 2002 World Cup successfully as befits one of the greatest festivals for humankind. I hope all of you will take great interest in and help us make this a success.
Rudyard Kipling who received the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1907 once said: "East is East, and West is West, and never the twain shall meet." But if he were alive today, he would have said instead: "East is West, and West is East, and never the twain shall part."
When I was elected President four years ago, Korea was in a desperate situation, faced with a serious financial crisis. EU members responded to my appeals and supported our efforts to overcome the difficulties by sending, among other things, an investment mission to Korea. Thanks to such support, we were able to recover from the crisis. Neither the Korean people nor I will ever forget your friendly help. I thank you all.
The 21st century is witnessing what will probably be known as the greatest revolution in human history. This great revolution is – to put it simply – about knowledge and information and about globalisation.
In the 20th century, tangible elements, such as land, capital and labour, were the sources of economic development. In the 21st century, however, intangible elements such as knowledge and information, creativity and a spirit of adventure are becoming key to increasing competitiveness. Two hundred years after the industrial revolution, a new paradigm is needed, different from that of the age of industrialisation. Now, the age of knowledge-based economies is opening up. It is now possible for under-developed nations and poor individuals to create wealth just by learning to use a computer.
However, humanity is also faced with a very serious problem. It is the problem of what we can call the digital divide. More than 75% of the benefits derived from enhanced information capabilities are concentrated only in advanced nations. Developing nations are being overlooked. The gap in information capabilities between the advanced and developing nations means a widening gap between the rich and poor. And the faster information capabilities are enhanced, the faster the gap widens between the rich and the poor.
On the other hand, the information revolution is inevitably linked with accelerating openness and globalisation. Territorial boundaries are becoming practically meaningless as enormous amounts of information are spreading throughout the world almost instantaneously. Meanwhile, cultural conflicts are arising. The worsening of poverty and advent of cultural conflicts leads to various kinds of fanaticism. Thus, enhanced information capabilities and globalisation could also threaten global peace in the 21st century. I would like to stress that this is a very serious problem.
The digital divide is further raising the level of antagonism between the rich and poor within a single nation. We must stop this. I would like to tell you briefly about our own experience. To overcome such problems, Korea has been pushing a policy of productive welfare. Productive welfare, while guaranteeing a basic standard of living, aims to concentrate on human resource development, especially for low-income families, so that they can stand on their own two feet."@en1
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"Kim DAE JUNG,"1
"President of the Republic of Korea"1
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