열린장관실

미 독립기념일 리셉션 축사

(2023.6.30.(금), 그랜드하얏트서울)

여러분, 안녕하십니까. 박진 외교부장관입니다. 반갑습니다.

Thank you, Ambassador Goldberg and General LaCamera, for those kind words.

Greetings everyone!

I’m Park Jin, Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Ambassador Goldberg,

General LaCamera,

Congressman Jeff Duncan,

Congressman Tim Walberg,

Congressman Randy Weber,

Congresswoman Debbie Lesco,

Congressman Scott Peters,

and distinguished guests,

I’m so delighted to be here tonight.

Today is a very special day.

We have gathered to celebrate the two hundred and forty-seventh Independence Day of the United States.  

Today’s event is even more meaningful than usual.

For this year marks the 70th Anniversary of the ROK-US Alliance – our platinum jubilee.

I want to take a moment to thank everyone here.

We have a wonderful assembly of people tonight - all great friends and supporters of the ROK-U.S. Alliance.

Thank you for your unwavering and longstanding support.

To our hosts and all of our American friends,

let me - on behalf of the Republic of Korea -

offer heartfelt congratulations

on the anniversary of America’s independence.

“Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

Today, these words from the American Declaration of Independence are familiar to everyone.

But at the time they were written,

they were quite literally, revolutionary.

John Adams, the second U.S. President, wrote the following in a letter to the son of a fellow Founding Father :

“ narrow is the way that leads to liberty,

and few nations, if any, have found it. ”

In the 247 years since the Declaration of Independence was written,

those words have served as a beacon.

Not just for America,

but also in so many places across the world.

Korea was no exception.

Korea, too, was born of the pursuit of freedom.

For the last seven decades,

the United States has been a staunch ally

of the Republic of Korea.

The Alliance helped protect our freedom and independence.  

During those seventy years,

the Korea-US Alliance stood the test of time.

We began as a mutual security partnership

right after the Korean War.

In the first decade of this century, the Korea-US FTA expanded the relationship into an economic alliance.

President Yoon Suk Yeol and President Joe Biden took our alliance to soaring new heights.

This is why President Yoon’s State Visit

to the United States in April

was history in the making.

The Washington Declaration states :  

“our partnership has expanded into a truly global Alliance that champions democratic principles, enriches economic cooperation,

and drives technological advancements.”

The State Visit also expanded our Alliance’s reach

beyond territorial space.

We are venturing into cyber space and outer space.  

The quantum realm too.

Indeed, the next frontiers of our Alliance are boundless.

We know what we’re capable of

when Korea and the United States work together.

As our frontiers expand,

the sky is no longer the limit.

But I have to confess,little did I imagine that our Alliance

would even reach the brewery.

Our Alliance could pull off

what Ambassador Goldberg did for tonight –

make incredible craft beer, the Alliance Pale Ale.

I’d like to give him a big round of applause.

Ambassador, I wonder if you have also prepared some American Pie today.

I actually asked the Chat GPT to find out which pie is the most American.

At first, Chat GPT told me, ‘Peach cobbler and apple pie.’

Later on, Chat GPT corrected itself. It said, ‘Apple pie is the most American,’ and it apologized for the confusion twice.

Well, I like them both.

In Korea, there is no room for confusion.

Because there is but one Korean pie in the world -

which is ‘Choco Pie.’

On a more serious note,

At 70 years of age,

our Alliance is going truly Global in scope.

It is becoming comprehensive in areas covered.  

It is strategic in vision.

And finally, it is underpinned by our shared belief

in the power of freedom.

Our Alliance is built on shared universal values of freedom, democracy, free markets, rule of law and human rights.

Such an Alliance is far more resilient and enduring than one based on commercial interests alone.

To top it off, our Alliance is gilded with platinum,

and it is shining brighter than diamonds.

With that, I would like to propose a toast.

Ambassador Goldberg and General LaCamera,

will you please join me?

When I say ‘Alliance for the Future,’

please say ‘같이 갑시다.’

Alliance for the Future! (같이 갑시다!)