    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1998, Book I)]
    [June 9, 1998]
    [Page 930]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    [[Page 930]]

    Remarks at the State Dinner Honoring President Kim Dae-jung of
    South Korea
    June 9, 1998

        The President. Good evening. President Kim, Mrs. Kim, members of the Korean delegation, distinguished guests,
    Hillary and I welcome you to the White House.
        On our two trips to Korea, we experienced the great kindness of the
    Korean people. We hope you have experienced that same feeling from the
    American people.
        As you can see from looking around this room, the American people
    include more than 1 million Korean-Americans who make very strong
    contributions to the United States but never forget their brothers and
    sisters half a world away.
        Mr. President, I hope you consider America your second home. I
    recall very well the day in 1992 we first met on the steps of the City
    Hall in Los Angeles, where we also met with citizens who were starting
    to rebuild their community after intense racial strife.
        You spent much of your period of exile in our country, and you have
    many great friends here, some of whom are with us tonight. They have
    stood by you through times of trouble, and in turn, you have been a real
    inspiration to them.
        In one of the many letters to your family from your prison cell, you
    recalled an old adage: Even if the heavens were to crash down, there is
    a hole through which to rise up; and even if taken in a tiger's teeth,
    there is a way to survive.
        Mr. President, the story of your way is almost unbelievable: Raised
    on an island with no paved roads or electricity, you were captured by
    the North Koreans in the war and nearly executed; elected to the
    national assembly only days before the assembly was disbanded by a coup;
    denied the Presidency in 1971 after voter intimidation and fraud by the
    ruling party; injured when a 14-ton truck tried to ram your car;
    kidnapped, taken to sea, prepared for drowning by Government agents;
    sentenced to death again in 1981 after a 6-minute trial. Through it all,
    you never lost hope that democracy and human rights could rise up in
    your beloved land.
        Now you are at the center of that democracy working to make the
    dreams of your people a reality. You are an inspiration, not only to
    your fellow Koreans but to people all around the world who seek freedom
    and a better life. Tonight we celebrate your triumphs and the triumph of
    democracy in so many nations that once were ruled by the iron hand of
    dictatorship. We also remember with gratitude those who bravely
    struggled for freedom but gave their lives before their dreams were
    realized. And we honor those around the world who still struggle to free
    their countries from tyranny. Their struggles and yours, Mr. President,
    remind us that we must never take freedom for granted.
        As Abraham Lincoln, whose life and words you have studied, once
    said, ``The fight must go on. The cause of liberty must not be
    surrendered at the end of one, or even 100 defeats.'' Mr. President, you
    remind us that, at the end of all the defeats and all the trials, there
    is victory for the human spirit.
        Therefore, it is a great honor for me to ask all of you to join in a
    toast to President Kim, Mrs. Kim, the people of
    the Republic of Korea, the deep friendship between our nations, and the
    brilliant future for Korea that you will build.

    [At this point, a toast was offered, and President Kim made brief
    remarks.]

        The President. Mr. President, thank you.

    Note: The President spoke at 8:50 p.m. in the East Room at the White
    House. In his remarks, he referred to Lee Hee-ho, wife of President Kim.
    The transcript made available by the Office of the Press Secretary also
    included the remarks of President Kim.