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Home > Embassy > Greetings |
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As the newly appointed Ambassador to the United States, it is my great pleasure to welcome you to the official website of the Embassy of the Republic of Korea. I hope you will find that it illustrates the enduring alliance that exists between the people of the Republic of Korea and the people of the United States of America.
The Korean Embassy is continually striving to strengthen U.S.-R.O.K. (Republic of Korea) relations in order to advance our common interests. Our countries share many objectives and responsibilities around the globe. With this forum, I would like to outline a few of the major goals that our Embassy will pursue in the days and weeks ahead.
When he took office in 2003, President Roh Moo-hyun was relatively unknown outside Korea. Despite some initial concerns stemming from this unfamiliarity, if we look back at the developments of the past three years, there is no doubt that U.S.-R.O.K. relations have grown more solid and more sophisticated.
President Roh has made close cooperation with the United States a priority throughout his term, holding four summit meetings in person and twelve conferences via telephone with President Bush. The leaders' summit of May 2003 served to expand the US-ROK alliance into a more comprehensive and dynamic partnership. At the June 2005 summit, the two leaders reconfirmed their commitment to seek peaceful and diplomatic ways to resolve the North Korean nuclear issue and reconvene the six-party talks. President Bush referred to the relationship between the United States and the Republic of Korea as "a very special, strong, and important strategic alliance." I can think of no better assessment than President Bush's comment on current U.S.-R.O.K. ties.
North Korea returned to the six-party talks one month after the June 2005 US-ROK summit meeting. In this effort, the two countries collaborated closely in producing a joint statement that outlined the basic principles required to resolve the North Korean nuclear crisis at the fourth round of six party talks.
Although weighty issues have confronted our alliance this year, the close cooperation at the highest level between our leaders has meant that important issues have been resolved smoothly and cooperatively. Some noteworthy achievements for both our countries have included the transfer of the U.S. Army from the Yongsan base, the readjustment of US troop levels in Korea, the overall reduction of US forces stationed in Korea, a special treaty to share military expenses and the rebuilding of the US Embassy in Korea.
These significant achievements have bolstered the US-ROK relationship and portend an even closer relationship in the years to come. We would like to do our best to further develop Korea-U.S. relations not only in the political and military spheres, but also in economics, trade and culture.
From an economic standpoint, the United States is a pivotal trading partner as well as the largest investor for the Republic of Korea. Trade between our two nations came to $72 billion last year. Korea is the seventh largest exporter to the United States and the fifth largest importer of American agricultural products. Meanwhile, U.S. investment totaled $36 billion. There is no question that economic cooperation and trade with the United States have been essential for Korea to achieve an average national income of $20,000 per year and for Korea to play a central economic role in Northeast Asia.
Both countries realize that in order to move to the next level in their economic relationship a more systematic and institutional approach is necessary. Therefore, Korea and the United States are working to produce a Free Trade Agreement (FTA). Both countries share the perception that a FTA should be pursued promptly and are cooperating closely to lay the foundations for its successful conclusion. Concluding a FTA will not only strengthen the ROK-US alliance rooted in democracy and the market economy, but will also encourage close cooperation in diverse fields and sectors of the economy.
In the United States, the Korean American community has flourished and matured under the painstaking cultivation of the first generation of Korean immigrants. Korean Americans have built an influential community that makes major contributions to American society. The vital role of the Korean American community in the United States will also contribute positively to US-ROK relations. For that reason, I am working with members of the Korean American community to find new ways of improving ROK-US relations.
The Korean Embassy also recognizes that innovation in the consular service for Koreans living overseas is a critical task. The Embassy has committed itself to a decisive break with the passive attitude that once characterized this section, taking a proactive stance towards the community and providing enthusiastic service.
We are committed to explaining and publicizing these policies and the goals they address not only to leaders and opinion makers, but also to the American public. To this end, the Korean Embassy is pursuing a dynamic approach to public diplomacy through its online newspaper, "Dynamic Korea," which covers issues related to the US-ROK relationship We have also developed the community website KORUS.net, which provides a forum for young Koreans and Americans to exchange opinions. We look forward to your active participation.
Lee Tae Sik
Ambassador of the Republic of Korea
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