Congratulatory Remarks by H.E. Mr. Lee Taeho
Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs
at the 2018 Northeast Asia Peace and Cooperation Forum
Seoul, November 28, 2018

Distinguished Guests, Honorable representatives of Governments, Ambassadors, Distinguished members of the Diplomatic Corps in Korea, Ladies and Gentlemen,

Good morning.  It is my great honor and a pleasure to speak to you this morning.

Before I begin, I would like to thank Dr. Paik Haksoon, the Sejong Institute and Ambassador KIM Bong-hyun, the Jeju Peace Institute for co-hosting today’s 2018 Northeast Asia Peace and Cooperation Forum, which my ministry, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, is honored to sponsor.
This Forum gathers together the brightest minds in Northeast Asia and beyond. Many of you are government officials and distinguished scholars who have traveled a long distance to be in Korea for this event. Thank you for your attendance.

Distinguished Guests,

Since its inception in 2014, this Forum has served as an open platform for multilateral discussions in Northeast Asia. This Forum is intended to cultivate a habit of dialogue and cooperation among stakeholders in the region, all with the aim of promoting multilateral cooperation. Building on what has been achieved each year, I hope today’s discussion will make further headway in bolstering a multilateral platform for regional peace and prosperity.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

We meet today under the completely different circumstances from our meeting last year. The political dynamics taking place on the Korean Peninsula today were unimaginable in 2017.  The journey towards a new era of peace began with the PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games and continued through three inter-Korean summits and the first ever US-DPRK Summit.

These historic events have not only de-escalated tensions on the Korean Peninsula, but have also fostered a sense of unity among countries in Northeast Asia as we moved towards our shared goal of creating a more secure and prosperous region.

Yet unlike the European Union or ASEAN, Northeast Asia lacks a multilateral body to address shared concerns. Despite decades of remarkable economic growth and a deepening interdependence among our countries, we do not have a broad multilateral cooperation framework.

Persisting geopolitical tensions and conflicts distract us from creating the multilateral framework necessary to march together towards a brighter future.  In particular, tensions on the Korean Peninsula have been a major impediment to regional peace and stability.

As we are witnessing a remarkable development in the Korean Peninsula, I believe now is time that all of us work together at the multilateral level to establish permanent peace and security in our region.  To accomplish these ends, continuous and persistent dialogue must be a priority.

With this in mind, the organizers of this year’s Forum carefully crafted its agenda so as to make practical and meaningful contributions to increasing regional confidence and expanding exchanges among countries.

In this regard, concrete confidence-building measures (CBMs) that are applicable in the early stages of multilateral cooperation are critical. One possibility the Korean government proposes is the ‘East Asian Railroad Community Initiative.’

Our proposal is inspired by other regions who nurtured regional connectivity through linking railways. In Europe, where railway connections accelerated the integration of the EU, railways are more than just physical connections. Railways foster confidence among countries because their existence mitigates threat perceptions, thereby promoting peace.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The Republic of Korea, as one of the important players in the region, wants to build a community
where all stake-holder countries share the responsibility of peace and prosperity in Northeast Asia, a region undergoing constant changes.

Throughout today’s Forum, I encourage everyone to review the achievements and limitations of the various multilateral dialogues and initiatives that currently exist in northeast Asia.  As you do so, I hope we can establish a clear vision as well as medium and long-term goals for this Northeast Asia Peace and Cooperation Platform.  Since active engagement from participating countries is crucial for the success of multilateral joint efforts, it is vital that we reach consensus on our goals and the future of the Platform.

If we can do this, the Northeast Asia Peace and Cooperation Platform can be more than just an annual meeting. It can be a practical catalyst towards a framework of dialogue under which countries work together at the multilateral level for peace and security in the region.

There is an old saying that says: “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a first step.” The progress this year on the Korean Peninsula marks the first step on a long journey which is truly historic, a journey toward a new era of peace and cooperation. We need to move forward step by step toward the long-awaited vision of peace and cooperation in our region.

Your continued support on this path will make all the difference. Thank you for your kind attention.

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