South Korean President Park Geun Hye in her
New Year’s press conference urged North Korea to “no longer hesitate and accept the offer for dialogue.”
The press conference was held at the
Presidential Office of Cheong Wa Dae on Monday. Proposing for reunions for separated families the president said, “Given
the age of separated family members who are still alive, it is an issue that
cannot be further delayed. I hope the North will– with an open heart– accept
our offer to hold family reunions around the Seol [Lunar New Year] holiday.”
Pres. Park added, “From fundamentally resolving the issue of
separated families to finding ways to improve the quality of life for North
Korean residents and recovering our shared national identity, I hope the South
and North can put their heads together and open the doors for unification.”
Saying that she hopes the two sides can
hold a number of joint events to commemorate the 70th anniversary of liberation from
Japan’s colonial rule, the president emphasized, “Our government hopes to open up a path of real dialogue and
cooperation through support and collaboration in the civil sector to improve
inter-Korean relations and establish a foundation for peaceful unification.”
Pres. Park went on to stress the importance of upholding a strong ROK-U.S. alliance, reinforcing the nation’s strategic partnership with China, pursuing stable ties with Russia, and seeking a new turning point in relations with Japan in light of the 50th anniversary of normalizing ties.
Through these efforts, the president said she hopes to
create a “virtuous cycle of North Korea’s denuclearization and improvement in inter-Korean ties.” “I hope this year, the South and
North will be able to peacefully and freely come and go and venture out to the
bigger world of Eurasia,” Pres. Park said.
