Republic of Korea Has Moral, Political Obligation to Help Poorer Nations Realize

 

Their Own So-Called ‘Korean Dream’, Secretary-General Tells Korea Society

 

Following are UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s remarks at the Korea Society annual dinner, in New York, 19 July:

Thank you for your warm welcome.  It is a great pleasure to see you this evening.  There are so many good friends of the United Nations, United States, and the Republic of Korea. In fact, I came back from my European trip this afternoon at 4 p.m., but its 1:30 a.m. in Europe at this time.  I only hope that this ceremony will not last long.  But I couldn’t wait until next year.  Because I knew that this evening would be very special where we honour distinguished honourees and at the same time I was very excited that I would be able to meet so many great friends of the Republic of Korea, United States, and more importantly at this time, United Nations. That’s why I am here.

I’d like to say just a few words to Ambassador Stephens and I thank you very much. I know that I speak on behalf of all of us, [in thanking you] for your very distinguished service and contribution for peace and stability on the Korean peninsula, which sometimes has been very, very worrisome and still we are not over with all the problems with North Korea. I know that we will have another opportunity tomorrow in my office.

Also, as one of the recipients of this very distinguished Van Fleet Award myself, I am especially pleased to add my words to our distinguished honourees this evening.

I have known two distinguished Chairmen, Hyun Jae-Hyun and William Rhodes, for many years.  Look carefully at the names of their organizations — they represent the US-Korea Business Council and the Korea-US Business Council.  They are in fact mirror images — a sign of true partnership.  They richly deserve this recognition this evening.

Tonight’s gathering comes at an exciting moment for the Republic of Korea.  The countdown to the Pyeongchang Winter Olympic Games has already begun.  My sincere congratulations on your great fabulous achievement.

Let me add that this evening marks another passage, as well.  As you may know, I have attended this dinner every year since I became Secretary-General of the United Nations.  The first time was in late 2006, shortly after my election as first term of United Nations [Secretary-General].  Now I am back — just a little over one month after being unanimously re-elected as the Secretary-General of the United Nations.

It is an extraordinary and humbling honour to serve this great Organization and to serve for the humanity of the international community.  In accepting this honour, I told the General Assembly: never has the United Nations been so needed, and never has the United Nations been so relevant.

When I was re-elected, everybody was, of course, excited, including myself.  And that was a unanimous [vote].  And if I may translate it into a number, that may be a [score of] 100 in an exam.  There was nobody opposing my re-election.  Then one of the South Korean journalists asked my wife in a very naughty way: “Well, Mrs. Ban, how would you grade your husband?”  Then she said, without hesitation: “70 per cent”. [laughter]  That was a little bit disappointing for me, [laughter] and in a sense, humiliating.  But it was also a little bit embarrassing for my wife.  I know that.  But my priority, highest priority, as a second-term Secretary-General of the United Nations will be “domestic policies”.  [laughter]  I know that domestic policies sometimes are more important.

As Secretary-General, and as all of you are doing, we have only to scan the daily news headlines: Libya, the historic changes sweeping the Arab world, what’s known as “Arab Spring”, the birth of the Republic of South Sudan — admitted just last week as the 193rd Member State of the United Nations.  For the United Nations, this is quite literally a job of nation-building — everything from scratch.  And all the while, we need to keep the peace in a region of increasingly high tensions and deeply disturbing reports of violence and mass killings.

Meanwhile, we face an emerging humanitarian crisis in the Horn of Africa.  Tomorrow, the United Nations will declare famine in Somalia.  More than 11 million people are affected by the long spell of drought and lack of food — 11 million, in just four countries: Ethiopia, Somalia, Djibouti and Kenya.  And we are their best and often only hope.

Since this is the Korea Society, I should add that we also see a potential emergency which may happen in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.  A harsh winter, followed by severe flooding, has put millions of North Korean lives at risk.  The World Food Programme (WFP), World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) have launched emergency operations.  Our challenge, among others, is to get the food to those who need it, when they need it.

Needless to say, I remain determined to do everything possible to help [keep] the Korean peninsula situation under control.  Our ultimate goal is to create a nuclear-weapon-free, peaceful and prosperous Korean peninsula.  And I count on the support of the Korea Society and all the members of the Korea Society who represent distinguished citizens of the United States, the Republic of Korea and many other countries of the United Nations.

Across the spectrum of our work, the Korea Society has a role to play.  That is why we are here tonight — not only to celebrate Korean-American partnership, but to recognize the great potential of global Korea.  Often when I travel around the world, Korea is held up as a model country — especially in Africa.  We, too, we Koreans, too, knew hunger and poverty.  We, too, struggled for freedom and genuine and greater freedom and participatory democracy.  With help from good friends — the United States and the United Nations — we succeeded.  Koreans succeeded.

Today, Korea has a special obligation — moral and political obligation to help poorer nations realize their own so-called “Korean dream” for them.  For them to realize this “Korean dream” is a dear aspiration, a very urgent and ardent aspiration — a dream of development, good governance, good government, human rights, peace and prosperity.  That is why I have welcomed Korean support for Africa.  That is why I and many others look to Korea for your leadership on sustainable development — the United Nations number one priority in the years ahead.

For that reason I particularly welcome President Lee Myung-bak’s recent visit to Africa and his most recently, very distinguished leadership as Chairman of the G-20 Summit meeting.  We have seen important progress with the Seoul Development Consensus, adopted at the last G-20 Summit meeting.  Korea’s many green energy initiatives are steps in this direction.

As we celebrate the dynamism of the relations between Korea and the United States this evening, let us remember this larger, global dimension.  We are all here as partners in creating a brighter and better future for all, where everybody — rich or poor, big or small — they can live in a world harmoniously balanced and better for all.  Let’s work together for that purpose, and let us widen the vision of the Korea Society.

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For information media • not an official record