Remarks
by H.E. Yun Byung-se
Minister of Foreign Affairs

Bali Democracy Forum
October 10, 2014

Your Minister Marty,
Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

Seven years since the launch of the Bali Democracy Forum (BDF) is such a short period of time. Despite this, the BDF has achieved a lot under the brilliant leadership of President Yudhoyono. The BDF has established itself as the region’s premier forum for sharing the best democratic practices. It has also put democracy as a strategic agenda in Asia for peace and stability, as succinctly summarized by the chair of the first meeting.

What we are witnessing in Asia today is differing processes of political transition in different countries. But one thing is crystal clear – the prevailing winds are carrying them toward the direction of democracy.

There was indeed a time Asia struggled with the question of whether to embark for democracy or not. Now this has been answered in the affirmative; nobody doubts the way forward, given the global wave for democracy. The issue for today is how to achieve the qualitative growth of democracy.

For this reason, I commend the organizers of this Forum for choosing the timely and relevant theme of “Evolving Regional Democratic Architecture: The Challenges of Political Development, Public Participation and Socio-economic Progress.”

These multiple challenges are not unfamiliar to my own country, which has gone through many daunting ones during the past decades. After trials and tribulations, we have managed to achieve both a maturing democracy and prospering market economy. But this is hardly the end of the story – the task is not yet closed. What matters to us at this juncture is to share the fruits more widely, and to bridge social divisions.

This is why my government under President Park Geun-hye is endeavoring to shift the paradigm of development from the state to the people. The essence of this paradigm is to draw a virtuous circle where quantitative and qualitative growth buttress each other, and where the ultimate beneficiaries will be the people themselves.

In fact, as a nation divided, this mission would not be complete until North Korean compatriots come to share our prosperity. As a nation who suffered long from war, poverty and political vortex, we have an unshakable commitment to do our due.

In this spirit, I would like to share our lessons learned and vision forward, at home and abroad.

The first element is the paramount importance of democratic governance. In this regard, it is encouraging that many governments in Asia are making headway in promoting the rule of law, eradicating corruption and enlarging democratic participation. We can help each other strengthen democratic governance too. For this reason, Korea supports projects conducive to democratic governance around the world.

Civil society also has a substantial role to play. In a meaningful sign, the Asia Democratic Network (ADN), a region-wide NGO network promoting democratic communities in the region, was set up last year. The Korean Government is offering support to this network of 26 countries and around 100 organizations.

Second is the significance of education of citizens. There is no doubt that public participation makes democracy work. But it can work either way, as a positive force for development, or as a negative influence. To bring out the positive, constructive side, bringing up democratic citizens is crucial. 

This is why Korea is such a strong supporter of Global Citizen Education, an initiative to instruct democracy for world citizens. As my President announced at the UN Global Education First Initiative session last month, we are planning to discuss this initiative at the 3rd World Education Forum to be held in May 2015 in Korea.

Third is the equally critical issue of the participation of women. The passive participation of women has been a sorry aspect of social division. To remedy this, in 1995, the Korean National Assembly passed the Framework Act on Women’s Empowerment. These efforts are going on, with the recruitment and support for female political candidates and quotas for gender equality in the public sector. The first ever election of a female president in Northeast Asia in December 2012 was the manifestation of this trend.

Fourth, it is imperative to pursue inclusive growth to realize qualitative growth, domestically and globally, as highlighted in the discussion on the UN Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs). To this end, the Korean National Assembly has set up a Sustainable Development Goal Forum to contribute to disseminating the tenets of SDGs across the world. 
 
Mr. Chairman, 
Ladies and Gentlemen,
 
Many countries in the region are striving for democracy in line with the universal values enshrined in the UN Charter, such as peace, development and human rights. A powerful case in point is Indonesia, as manifested by the recent orderly election. 

Unfortunately, there are some weak links in these regional and global endeavors. North Korea has yet to come out of its self-imposed shell. We hope North Korea will follow suit so that the people of the whole peninsula may come to share the quality of life.

As UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said, "Democracy is not a guarantee of success, but it is the most powerful and just means for building well-functioning societies." This has been shown time and again throughout history, not least in Korea’s case.

And also, as the dictum goes, democracies rarely fight each other; democracy itself contributes to peace and stability as the foundation of freedom and prosperity. 

In this sense, democracy is a solution now and in the future. Furthermore, it is a great wave, unstoppable and inescapable. Let us ride on its crest. Rest assured that Korea is committed to promoting democracy in the Asia Pacific through the Bali Democracy Forum.

Thank you.  /End/