열린장관실

Keynote Speech

by H.E. Park Jin

Minister of Foreign Affairs

Luncheon with the Korean Minister of Foreign Affairs

organized by FKCCI, ACF and KGCCI

July 12, 2022

Chairman of FKCCI(한불상공회의소) David-Pierre Jalicon(다비드 피에르 잘리콩),

President of ACF(한불협회) Woo-hyun Sohn(손우현),

Chairman of KGCCI(한독상공회의소) Hyunnam Park(박현남),

German Ambassador H.E. Michael Reiffenstuel(미하일 라이펜슈튜엘),

EU Ambassador H.E. Maria Castillo Fernandez(마리아 카스티요 페르난데스),

Charge d'affaires of French Embassy Mr. Julien Cats(줄리앙 카츠),

Ladies and gentlemen,

It is my great pleasure to meet you all here today

and deliver a keynote speech.

On June 23 Prime Minister 한덕수 was the guest of honor of a dinner hosted by the FKCCI and the KGCCI where deregulation and improvement of the business environment was the main subject.

Today, my speech will address the overall direction of the foreign policy of my Government.

I just came back from a back to back business trip from Madrid,

to Singapore to Bali, after visiting the US as a follow up

to the summit that was held in May.

I personally witnessed certain trends that on the one hand shape our foreign policy environment but on the other hand, present opportunities for Korea to play a bigger role.    

(국제 상황 및 우리나라 외교정책)

Today, the world is so tightly intertwined that a security threat in one country can lead to supply chain disruption all over the world, just as the Ukrainian crisis demonstrates.  

Since the challenges, such as climate change, pandemics, transition to digital economy, are global in nature, the response has to be collective as well.  

A military crisis in one corner of the world can no longer be contained in that region dragging in the whole international community.

When influential countries gather to address global issues,

there has to be a consensus on the ultimate objective

and the measures to employ.  

Only nations that share the same values, enjoy the free and democratic systems, can come up with the same vision on how to deal with these global threats that have ripple effects in all facets of life.  

This is why solidarity among like-minded countries has become more important than ever in a world where new challenges pop up on a daily basis, as it becomes more and more difficult to decouple individual issues and separate political issues from economic issues.  

In addition to these trends, the rise of the Indo-Pacific region is another factor that changes the face of the international community.

This region has experienced explosive growth rates after the second World War but is home to different political systems, complex historical backgrounds and diverse cultures.

It follows that Korea, as an economic powerhouse that cherishes universal values such as freedom, democracy and the rule of law, is becoming more and more attractive as a partner country.

The new administration is fully aware of the “Zeitgeist” of this generation and the enormous tasks that lay before us.  

It is required and expected from us to actively play a role in global issues, strengthening solidarity among like-minded countries, and lead by example, just as we did in overcoming the recent pandemic.

Thus, the Yoon Suk Yeol administration has laid out its vision to serve as a “Global Pivotal State.”

This initiative envisions a Korea that actively contributes to promoting freedom, peace, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region and beyond, by closely working with allies and friends.

The upgrade of the ROK-US alliance best illustrates this.

At the ROK-U.S. Summit, which took place just 10 days after the start of the new administration, the two leaders agreed to advance the ROK-US Alliance into a “global comprehensive strategic alliance”, based on shared values.

The ROK-US Alliance will be advanced from military alliance to a future-oriented alliance that jointly addresses cutting-edge technologies such as AI and quantum technology and global issues such as supply chain disruptions, pandemic and climate change.

I visited the United States only three weeks after Summit to have a bilateral meeting with Secretary Blinken, and we agreed to promptly and faithfully implement the agreements between our presidents.

(NATO/G20)

After consolidating and upgrading a key axis of our foreign policy, the Yoon administration did not miss a beat in reaching out to the global community.  

The NATO summit became the first official trip overseas of President Yoon.

This transatlantic alliance has been evolving ever since its inception in 1949 and has forged partnerships with non-members such as Korea.

We became a partner country in 2006 and collaborated in stabilizing Afghanistan, responding to terrorism and chemical and biological operations.

President Yoon’s participation, which is unprecedented in NATO history, was decided on our part to align with like-minded countries in dealing with new security threats and play a pivotal role in forging global partnerships.  

First, in his speech at the NATO summit, President Yoon vouched to expand cooperation between Korea and NATO, as partners sharing universal values and norms, to foster international solidarity that guarantees freedom and peace at a time when a single country alone cannot solve today’s security threats.

Next, he reiterated that Russia’s illegal armed aggression was a serious challenge to the security order that the international community had been upholding and that it could not be justified at any circumstances.

He also mentioned that the Korean Government had recently announced 50 million USD of additional humanitarian aid, making a total of 100 million USD in assistance to Ukraine, in order to contribute to the efforts of the international community to prevent additional civilian loss.

Lastly, President Yoon stressed that North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs were flagrant violations of UN Security Council resolutions, posing serious threats to the international community.

During his visit to Madrid, President Yoon also participated in more than 10 bilateral meetings with countries such as the UK, France, Australia, Netherlands and Denmark and the EU.  

In addition, the first Korea-US-Japan summit was held for the first time in 5 years, showing our collective will to solve the North Korean nuclear issue and respond to global challenges together.  

With countries such as the Czech Republic and Poland, nuclear power, defense industry, semi-conductors and renewable energy were key agenda items, all areas where mutual trust and common systems are essential.  

The participation of President Yoon at the NATO summit was a huge success and will require follow up measures from my part such as establishing the NATO representative office in Belgium, developing new cooperative programs between Korea and NATO including the restoration of Ukraine.  

Almost right after the NATO summit, I participated at the G20 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting held in Bali.  

Despite the tight schedule and limited time slots available,  I was able to take part in more than 21 scheduled events such as meetings, bilaterals and press events.  

At the plenary session, Ministers gathered to discuss the Ukrainian situation and our response to food and energy crises.  

In my speech, I highlighted that G20 should take the lead to restore rule-based multilateralism and that G20 should unite in dealing with food and energy crises aggravated by the situation in Ukraine.

My goal at the G20 meeting was to meet as many counterparts as possible.

However, the time slots allotted to bilateral meetings were quite limited, so I met my Canadian counterpart over a late night coffee and my German counterpart during a short lunch break over sandwiches.  

The Foreign Ministers of Korea, the United States, and Japan also met in Bali to follow-up on the trilateral Summit meeting,

and discussed in detail ways to further enhance our trilateral cooperation.

I also had a short encounter with Minister Lavrov, where I voiced our objection to unprovoked military action against Ukraine and at the same time urged my Russian counterpart not to cause harm to Korean nationals and enterprises in Russia.

The aisles and hallways became venues for diplomatic encounters where I freely conversed with all Ministers including the Ukrainian ambassador based in Indonesia, participating on behalf of his Minister.  

With countries such as Indonesia, Australia, India, Spain, UAE and the EU, issues such as supply chain, semi-conductors and defense industry were discussed, in essence how to foster and strengthen economic security cooperation with like-minded countries.

In the meantime, I took the opportunity to solicit support for our bid to host the 2030 Busan world expo with all my counterparts.  

The G20 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting was a great opportunity to follow up on the successful visit of our President to NATO,

to promote the foreign policy vision of this new administration and bolster a personal network among like-minded countries.  

(對EU 정책/관계)

During the course of the first couple of months of the Yoon Suk Yeol administration, Korea’s high-level exchanges with our European partners were more robust than ever.   

A phone call and congratulatory notes were exchanged between President Yoon and the EU presidents Charles Michel and Ursula Von de Leyen, and soon after the inauguration, President Yoon’s first Presidential Envoy was sent to the EU(Representative Gihyeon Kim(김기현)) to lay groundwork for strengthening the strategic partnership that already exists into a more comprehensive, forward-looking future-oriented relationship.

Out of the ten bilaterals that President Yoon had at the NATO summit, 7 were with European countries.  

After establishing a Strategic Partnership in 2010, Korea and the EU concluded three agreements in a row - the Framework Agreement, the FTA and the Agreement on Crisis Management Operations, based on which we have been closely cooperating in political, economic and security areas.

Now we look for an expansion of the horizon of cooperation into joint responses to regional and global issues by agreeing on three partnerships  in the areas of public health, climate change and digital economy, where bilateral discussions are already ongoing.  

The trade volume best represents the robust relationship that is already in place between Korea and the EU.

Last year, despite the wide spread of COVID 19, which had a huge negative impact on the global supply chain, the bilateral trade volume reached its historic peak - 129 billion USD.

Moreover, Korea and the EU have a complementary economic relationship, especially in future-oriented industries like semiconductors, electric cars and batteries.  

This is why I believe as trustworthy partners we can deepen our cooperation to recover from a global supply chain disruption and increase resilience.

The EU being one of our most important foreign policy partners, France and Germany, the two duumvirate of the Union, deserve our special attention.  

(對프랑스 정책/관계)

President Macron was inaugurated at the same time as President Yoon last May.

Both Presidents will have abundant opportunities to upgrade our relations for the next five years.  

Mutual interest of Korea and France in the  Indo-Pacific region can result in potential cooperative projects.  

In addition, close contact and cooperation with France is essential for Korea since France, a permanent member of UNSC, plays an important role in tackling North Korean issues.

Cultural exchange is also one of the main pillars to the bilateral relations.

Président Macron a commencé son mandat en mai, au même moment que Président Yoon.

Les deux Chefs d’état auront beaucoup d’occasions de nouer nos partenariats à un niveau plus élévé pendant les cinq prochaines années.

L’intérêt mutuel de nos deux pays dans l’Indo-Pacifique constitue un grand potentiel pour d’éventuels projets communs.

En outre, la coopération étroite avec la France est essentielle pour la Corée, car l’Héxagone, un des membres permanents du Conseil de Sécurité des Nations Unies, joue un rôle majeur dans la résolution des problèmes nord-coréens.

Les échanges culturels restent également un des domaines principaux contribuant à la richesse des relations bilatérales.

President Yoon and President Macron met for the first time in Madrid, and they discussed cooperation in various sectors, including nuclear power and space.

In France, nuclear power generation makes up 70 percent of national energy consumption, and Korea is one of the top 5 in nuclear power industry.

They promised to expand bilateral cooperation to ensure the safety of nuclear power plants. Moreover, they agreed to explore the possibility for greater cooperation in space, including the development of small and medium-sized satellites.

Président Yoon a rencontré pour la première fois Président Macron à Madrid : ils ont discuté des moyens de coopération bilatérale dans divers domaines dont l’énergie nucléaire et le spatial.

Les centrales nucléaire en France assureraient environ soixante-dix(70) pourcents d’utilisation d’énergie nationale et l’industrie de l’énergie nucléaire coréenne se situe dans les cinq(5) meilleures du monde.

Les deux Chefs d’état se sont mis d’accords pour élargir la coopération dans le domaine pour l’exploitation sûre et fiable des centrales nucléaires et aussi dans le spatial, par exemple, avec le développement conjoint des satellites de petite et de moyenne tailles.

France is also the number one destination for investment among EU members with its business-friendly environment.

This has led to the on-site investment of many Korean companies, including Samsung, LG, Hyundai Motors and Kia, to France.

Meanwhile, French companies like L'Oreal(로레알/ 화장품), Aryballe(아리발/ AI 스타트업), Thales(탈레스/ 교통 우주 항공분야), Accor(아코르/ 호텔) are doing their business in Korea and contribute to enhancing economic cooperation between the two countries.

La France est le pays de l’Union européenne le plus recherché en matière d’investissement pour son environnement favorable aux entreprises.

L’installation de grandes entreprises coréennes comme LG, Hyundai Motors and Kia en France le prouve.

Par ailleurs, les entreprises françaises comme L’Oréal, Aryballe, Thales ou Accors, pour n’en citer que quelques-unes, ont investi en Corée et contribuent au renforcement de la coopération économique entre nos deux pays.

(對독일 정책/관계)

Germany is also one of our key partners sharing common values such as democracy, free trade, rule of law and human rights – and it is also our largest trading partner in Europe.

The economic cooperation between the two countries has remained sound - indeed the bilateral trade volume reached an all-time high (33.1 billion USD) last year.

With the complementary structure of economic cooperation, Korea and Germany has become optimum partners within the global supply chain.

German companies like Siemens(지멘스/ 전기전자), BASF(화학), BMW(자동차), Boehringer Ingelheim(베링거 잉겔하임/ 제약) are all well-known brands in Korea; while Korean major companies like Samsung and Kia have their branches in Germany.

Deutschland ist eines unserer wichtigsten Partnerländer, mit dem wir gemeinsame Werte wie Demokratie, Freien Handel, Rechtstaat und Menschenrechte teilen.

Außerdem ist Deutschland auch unser größter Handelspartner in Europa.

Die bilateralen Wirtschaftsbeziehungen sind weiterhin sehr gut - so wurde im letzten Jahr sogar ein Rekordhoch des Handelsvolumen (von 33,1 Milliarden US Dollar) erreicht.

Durch die komplementären Wirtschaftsstrukturen sind Korea und Deutschland zu optimalen Partner füreinander in den globalen Lieferketten geworden.

Zahlreiche namhafte deutsche Marken wie Siemens, BASF, BMW und Boehringer Ingelheim sind in Korea gut etabliert; Während namhafte koreanische Großunternehmen wie Samsung und Kia in Deutschland vertreten sind.

President Yoon also encountered Federal Chancellor Scholz in Madrid, and I met with Federal Foreign Minister Baerbock in Bali.

Mrs. Baerbock and I discussed to expand our cooperation in issues like climate change, economic security and the Indo-Pacific strategy, where we both take a deep interest.

And we also exchanged views on the security situation on the Korean Peninsula and in Europe.

Präsident Yoon begegnete auch Bundeskanzler Scholz in Madrid und ich traf Außenministerin Baerbock in Bali.

Frau Baerbock und ich haben darüber gesprochen, unsere Kooperationen in den Themenbereichen wie Klimawandel, Wirtschaftliche Sicherheit und Indo-Pazifik-Strategie, wo beiderseitiges tiefes Interesse besteht, auszuweiten.

Außerdem haben wir uns auch bezüglich der Sicherheitslage auf der Koreanischen Halbinsel und in Europa ausgetauscht.

Koreans have an aspiration for unification, and we are taking Germany as our role model.

In a similar vein to Germany's Ostpolitik, the Korean Government has been trying to communicate with North Korea with great patience.

The important thing is, however, that the relations between the South and the North cannot be restored without North Korea's denuclearization.

We have an audacious plan for North Korea, through which we aim to drastically improve North Korea’s economy and the lives of its people.

We will present this plan if North Korea embarks on a process of tangible moves for denuclearization.

In this regard, I was encouraged by Frau Baerbock’s unwavering support for our North Korea policy voiced over the sandwich luncheon we had in Bali with our closest aides.

Wir Koreaner haben den Wunsch zur Wiedervereinigung und halten Deutschland diesbezüglich als ein Vorbild.

Die koreanische Regierung hat sich, auf ähnliche Weise wie der deutschen Ostpolitik, mit großer Geduld darum bemüht, mit Nordkorea in Dialog zu treten.

Doch der wichtige Punkt ist, dass ohne der Denuklearisierung Nordkoreas die innerkoreanischen Beziehungen nicht restauriert werden können.

Wir haben einen kühnen Plan für Nordkorea, der darauf abzielt, Nordkoreas Wirtschaft erheblich zu stärken und die Lebensqualität der nordkoreanischen Bevölkerung zu verbessern.

Diesen werden wir vorlegen, wenn Nordkorea konkrete Schritte zur Denuklearisierung einleitet.

In dieser Hinsicht wurde ich von Frau Baerbocks unerschütterlicher Unterstützung für unsere Nordkorea-Politik ermutigt, die Sie bei unserem gemeinsamen Sandwich-Mittagessen  mit unseren engsten Mitarbeitern aussprach.

When I studied in Oxford for a doctoral degree in International Relations back in the 1990s, I visited France and Germany several times to participate in seminars on the Future of Europe held by leading European universities and institutes including Science Po, IFRI, Free University of Berlin and Heidelberg University.

Back then I thought Korea should follow Europe's footsteps toward tolerance, harmony and reconciliation and strengthen its partnership with Europe.

And here I am in front of you inspired that I am witnessing Korea and Europe getting closer and their relations advancing into a stragetic and comprehensive partnership.

Common values such as freedom, democracy and rule of law is what brings us together in unity.

Again, let me emphasize that France and Germany are the duumvirates of the European Union and the Korean Government expects to see your support in strengthening the Korea-EU partnership based on universal values such as freedom, democracy and rule of law.

Once again, I would like to express my heartfelt appreciation for the wonderful arrangements made by KFCCI, ACF and KGCCI for hosting of this meanigful event.

I hope my speech will contribute to improving the understanding of Korea's foreign policy, leading to reinvigorate people-to-people and business-to-business exchange between Korea and Europe.

I look forward to continuing this converstion with your questions and comments.

Thank you.        ///END///