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T. Chung: Address to International Leadership Conference 2019
Written by Amb. Chung Tae-ik, Honorary President, Korean Council of Foreign Relations (2014–2016), Korea
Wednesday, May 15, 2019
Address to International Leadership Conference 2019, Seoul, Korea, May 15-17, 2019
I am very pleased and privileged to welcome every one of you who are participating in this special International Leadership Conference, convened in Seoul, Korea, under the theme “Toward Peace and Security in Northeast Asia: Interdependence, Mutual Prosperity and Universal Values.”
I am very sure that this International Leadership Conference will provide a golden opportunity as an international group of leaders from various sectors to contribute to peace and security in Northeast Asia and to open a pathway to the peaceful reunification of the Korean Peninsula. The Seoul conference will feature a series of sessions to identify ways to promote peace in Korea and the region as well as in the world. Since I have served as a national security advisor to the late president Kim Dae Jung, I would like to avail myself of this opportunity to briefly touch on the nuclear issue relating to North Korea, which is the most imperative matter facing us now.
The Denuclearization and Peace Process (DPP) of the Korean Peninsula has been agreed on through the Inter-Korea and DPRK-U.S. summit meetings. In order to turn the Korean Peninsula into a new ground of peace and prosperity, the DPP must be implemented. After “no deal” at the Hanoi summit meeting in 2019, Washington’s approach to denuclearization seems to converge toward a “big deal” or comprehensive agreement.
However, all the measures relating to denuclearization, peace regime building, diplomatic normalization, developing inter-Korean relations and adjusting sanctions on North Korea could not be implemented simultaneously in one step. The last Seoul ILC suggested that the comprehensive agreement be done by a step-by-step implementation. Thus, North Korea, the United States, and South Korea need to negotiate and agree on a road map of step-by-step implementations of the whole process at a working or high-level meeting. South Korea’s DPP diplomacy requires close consultation among Korea, the United States and Japan.
I firmly believe that the participation of the prominent leaders and experts itself will assure the success of our gathering and the tangible results of our program.
Lastly I would like to remind you that all delegates are invited to participate as special guests in the Rally for Peaceful Reunification of the Korean Peninsula on May 17, 2019, where I assume the responsibility of the co-organizer of the event.
Thank you for joining us on this important occasion.
To go to the May 2019 ILC Schedule page, click here.