[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 74 (Wednesday, June 10, 1998)]
[House]
[Pages H4334-H4335]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 ADDRESS BY HIS EXCELLENCY KIM DAE-JUNG, PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF 
                                 KOREA

  President KIM. Mr. Speaker, Mr. President, distinguished Members of 
the Senate and House, ladies and gentlemen.
  A rare succession of world leaders has been accorded the honor of 
speaking from this lofty podium. But today, I am the first to have been 
twice snatched from death by the decisive actions of your Nation.
  You first saved my life in 1973, when I was kidnapped and nearly 
murdered by the military regime, and again in 1980, when a dictatorship 
sentenced me to death.
  I escaped five attempts on my life; one by communists; the other four 
by military dictators. Living 40 years of my life under surveillance, I 
spent six years in prison and more than 10 years in exile or under 
house arrest.
  In 1973, I was kidnapped in Tokyo and taken onto a ship. Bound and 
gagged, I was about to be thrown overboard. But, as only someone who 
has brushed up to death's door can know, I saw Jesus Christ near me. I 
prayed for my life and I truly believe God saved me.
  At that moment, an airplane flew over the vessel and stopped my 
abductors. Later, we learned the plane had intervened because of 
information from the United States.
  In 1980, I was arrested by the leaders of a military coup d'etat and 
sentenced to death. If not for the active efforts by President Carter 
and President-elect Reagan, this podium would now be empty.
  In prison, threats of death were ceaseless. But I could never make a 
separate peace with a dictatorship. I could never betray the people.

                              {time}  1020

  And when they said I would die, still I never gave in, even though I 
was afraid of death. Every now and then, I look in the mirror, with 
deep emotion, and wonder how I overcame 40 years of such trial. Even 
now, the anguish and doubt of those times are hard to talk about.
  Only years later did I hear words attributed to your great statesman, 
Abraham Lincoln, and come to know their true meaning: ``I will prepare, 
and someday, my chance will come.''
  So the improbable Korean journey that has brought me to this, 
democracy's most famous home, is not lost on this humble and fellow 
public servant.
  And to those of you in this Chamber, to those Americans who fought 
for democracy and to whom my life is literally owed, I will never 
forget the example of your safe haven. I will never forget America and 
the destiny that so strongly binds my political life to your Nation.
  Mr. Speaker, Mr. President, distinguished Members of the Senate and 
House, a century and 16 years ago, our two nations established formal 
relations. It is a long and unbroken friendship. The United States 
helped liberate Korea from the iron chains of Japanese colonialism and 
defend the Republic from Communist aggression.
  Today, in this Chamber, with deepest gratitude, I pray between these 
words for the souls of more than 33,000 young Americans who sacrificed 
their precious lives to defend the Republic from Communist tyranny. How 
can I thank the brave Americans who fought nearly 50 years ago in that 
horror of a war? Some of you here fought in that war. For this 
sacrifice, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. In defending Korea, 
you helped set us free.
  Yet today, there is no peace on the Korean peninsula. At this hour, 
armed forces of the Republic and the United States stand within sight 
of North Korean Communist troops in a state of hostility. And that must 
change. We must bring a real and permanent peace to the Peninsula and 
nudge North Korea toward cooperation and reconciliation.
  So to the leader of North Korea, I say: First, no armed provocation 
by North Korea will be tolerated, under any circumstances. Second, we 
will not undermine your regime or attempt unification by absorbing the 
North. Third, we will pursue with you across-the-board exchange and 
cooperation. Support for this approach comes from Koreans and from 
Japan, China, Russia, and the United States, and many other nations 
around the world.
  Above all, I say again, we must not tolerate armed provocation by 
North Korea. We must secure peace through strength. Our purpose is not 
war. We seek only peaceful cooperation with North Korea.
  In this regard, the Geneva Agreed Framework must continue to play an 
important role in promoting peace and stability on the Peninsula and 
strengthening the global nuclear nonproliferation regime. Thus, even 
with our current economic difficulties, Korea will faithfully abide by 
our commitment to the KEDO project. And we hope the United States 
continues to smoothly implement the agreed framework.
  To lead North Korea toward reconciliation, the Republic and the 
United States should promote a ``sunshine'' policy, offering 
inducements against the backdrop of strong security measures. And we 
should extend to North Korea both goodwill and sincerity so suspicion 
dissolves and openness emerges.
  Above all, we need a flexible policy. To get a passerby to take off 
his coat, so the fable goes, sunshine is more effective than a strong 
wind.
  We are going to promote cooperation in a wide range of areas, under 
the principle of separation of politics and economics. We want 
America's support in this effort. Both our nations need to be more 
confident, coordinated, and composed in our relations with North Korea.
  We hope such an overall approach gives North Korea psychological room 
to open its mind and its doors. To be sure, we will never relax our 
vigilance against North Korea. But neither will we be afraid to pursue 
peace.
  That is what I believe. This approach, this doctrine, is the most 
secure and stabilizing for the Peninsula, for Northeast Asia, for 
America and for the world.
  Indeed, Northeast Asia is one of the world's most important regions, 
militarily and economically. The United States, Japan, China and Russia 
all have a stake in this region.

[[Page H4335]]

  Nearly surrounded by these four powers, Korea's national and security 
interests are substantially influenced by them. And I am convinced the 
continued pretense of U.S. troops in East Asia, including Korea, is 
consistent with American national interest and necessary for peace and 
stability in the region.
  Mr. Speaker, Mr. President, for 30 years Korea has sustained economic 
growth. But late last year, we began to face grave economic 
difficulties due to a sudden and unanticipated shortage of reserves. 
America has taken the lead in international efforts to assist us 
through these difficult times. And may I say, it is truly good to have 
friends in times of need. I remember vividly a phone call from 
President Clinton and his encouraging words the day after my election, 
as well as the many messages from Members of this great Congress.
  The cause of our economic problems is quite clear. My predecessors 
did not practice democracy and a free market economy. In fact, there 
was too little democracy, too much collusion with big business, and too 
much government-directed finance. Corruption prevailed. Imprudent 
borrowing weakened our Nation's banks and businesses.
  Today, Korea faces a long and hard challenge. Unemployment is at a 
record high. Sales are falling. Bankruptcies are increasing. 
Nevertheless, the people and government are joining hands to overcome 
the foreign exchange crisis and to reform the economic structure. 
Labor, business and government are doing their part to rebuild the 
economy. Reform bills have been passed. Changes are underway.
  As a result, encouraging signs have begun to appear. Foreign exchange 
reserves now total 35 billion U.S. dollars, a far cry from the mere 
$3.9 billion tallied on December 18, the day I was elected. Once 
skyrocketing foreign exchange and interest rates are on a downward 
trend.
  We remain focused on reviving Korea's economy. And what we need now, 
more than anything else, are foreign investors. Since the crisis, 
Koreans have become far more positive about accommodating foreign 
capital. A recent poll showed 87 percent of Koreans now believe foreign 
investment is beneficial to our Nation's economy.
  Inspired by this support, we have moved decisively to revise laws and 
regulations so that international investors can operate under the same 
conditions as Koreans. In fact, Korea will become one of the best 
countries for international investors to freely and safely do business. 
This is a precious opportunity, and we must seize it.
  In international trade, we will open our markets. Unfair regulations 
are being abolished. And we will no longer tolerate legal 
discrimination against foreign products. Free trade is essential for 
success.
  Pursuing reform of this magnitude, we need help from others. And we 
need unreserved supported from the United States.
  Korea is America's eighth largest trading partner and one of your 
staunchest allies. Today, I appeal to you and to the American people: 
We need your encouragement for our reforms to succeed and for us to 
become a stronger trading partner in the future.
  It may be remembered that at important times Korea was there for 
America, too. For example, during your own economic downturn in the 
1980s, Korea dispatched special purchasing delegations to the United 
States and bought billions of dollars of your goods. Over the years, 
Korean corporations have individually invested over $1 billion each in 
the U.S. In 1996, Korea purchased from America $11.6 billion more than 
we sold to you, absorbing more than half the total trade deficit of 
that year. And Korean Airlines just concluded a $2 billion contract 
with an American aircraft manufacturing.
  Mr. Speaker, Mr. President, I am grateful for the help we received 
from the IMF, the IBRD, and other financial institutions. With the 
IMF's strong support, we are aggressively and successfully promoting 
restructuring of our economy to the level of other advanced countries.
  In a sense, the IMF is to international finance what the Federal 
Reserve is to your Nation's financial system, the lender of last 
resort. The IMF may well have to play again a critical role in averting 
and stabilizing future economic crises. And the IMF deserves continued 
support.
  Korea is going to dedicate this year to economic reform. To be sure, 
Koreans must endure cruel tests of unemployment, inflation, recession 
and bankruptcy. But many experts believe conditions will improve 
substantially in the second half of next year. The Korean economy will 
then reenter a stage of solid growth, bounding ahead, beginning in the 
year 2000.

                              {time}  1040

  Korea can do it. We built one of the leading economies in the world 
in just three decades, rising from the ruins of war. We have a proven 
potential. We are resilient. But we now need your help.
  Mr. Speaker, Mr. President, at this thrilling moment for me, in a 
life that has already been long and not entirely uneventful, millions 
of Koreans are also listening to these words. And I am sure they feel 
very proud. Korea's first President to be elected through a genuinely 
democratic process is speaking in this, democracy's most hallowed hall. 
My countrymen will surely join me in wanting our two nations to grow 
closer and rise to a higher partnership, to a higher friendship.
  Across Asia, a valuable lesson is being learned. Where there is no 
democracy, there can be no free market economy; and where there is no 
dynamic free market economy, there can be no competitiveness. Many 
people in Asia, and around the world, are beginning to agree that 
democracy and a free market economy can and must flourish together, as 
one.
  Today, we face a fundamental challenge in working together to help 
Korea move beyond the current economic crisis, so it can once again 
stand boldly as a model of inspiration for the world.
  Mr. Speaker, Mr. President, thank you for helping me stand before you 
as the President of a democratic Korea.
  Today, how can I help but think back to destiny, to the two times 
your Nation saved me from death? So much was endured throughout that 
long and hard struggle for real democratization in Korea that today, 
our two nations are obligated to ensure it was all truly worthwhile.
  Twenty-five years ago and eighteen years ago, America's decisive 
actions saved me from paying the highest price an individual can pay. 
Today, I say, let us join together in a higher friendship that stands 
as a shining example of democracy's true destiny.
  Thank you very much.
  [Applause, the Members rising.]
  At 10 o'clock and 44 minutes a.m., the President of the Republic of 
Korea, accompanied by the committee of escort, retired from the Hall of 
the House of Representatives.
  The Assistant to the Sergeant at Arms escorted the invited guests 
from the Chamber in the following order:
  The Members of the President's Cabinet.
  The Acting Dean of the Diplomatic Corps.

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