외교부

Speech by H.E. Yu, Myung-hwan,

Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Republic of Korea,

at the Opening Ceremony of the 3rd East Asia Forum

October 31, 2005, Beijing

His Excellency, State Councillor, Mr. Tang Jiaxuan,

Delegates from the government, business, and academia of the 13 countries of East Asia,

Allow me to begin by thanking the Chinese government for its hard work in preparing for this Forum.  It is a great honor for me to be invited to address the 3rd EAF at its Opening Session.

As one of the core initiatives that was recommended by the EASG Final Report, the EAF was launched in Seoul, in December 2003, as East Asia's think tank.  After two annual meetings, the EAF has demonstrated the usefulness of bringing together representatives from government, business and academia in East Asia.  It also reinforced the shared awareness that this forum should play a central role in deepening East Asian cooperation.  As the prime mover of EAF, my government is deeply grateful to the support and interest of all the participants who have helped this initiative produce meaningful results.

Distinguished Delegates,

The financial crisis that swept East Asia in 1997 brought a sense of urgency for the countries in the region to formulate a joint response to future regional crises.  It was based on this recognition that East Asian cooperation has gained impetus.

Since the first ASEAN+3 Summit Meeting of 1997, the ASEAN+3 mechanism has incorporated meetings which, aside from the Summit, start from 14 Ministerial-level meetings all the way down to the working-level and cover a wide range of issues.  Having developed into a useful forum to discuss concrete ways of cooperation, ASEAN+3 cooperation is no longer a matter of choice; it is a reality both inevitable and irreversible.

The final reports of the EAVG and EASG which lay out the blueprint of East Asian cooperation have recommended measures which have been steadily implemented with enthusiastic support and interest by the participating countries.  This process has fostered a habit of cooperation within the ASEAN+3 framework, and also established trust among the countries in the region.

Meanwhile, the shape of East Asian cooperation is growing in diversity, as evidenced by the first-ever convention of the East Asia Summit(EAS) and the multitude of negotiations to conclude bilateral and multilateral Free Trade Agreements. I believe that these new developments are challenges which present us with opportunities for the future.

As we approach the 10th anniversary of the founding of the ASEAN+3 mechanism in 2007, we need to retrain our focus on our original goals and contemplate how we can strengthen East Asian cooperation.

Fellow Delegates,

The ultimate objective of East Asian cooperation, as outlined in the EAVG Report, is the realization of an East Asian community(EAc) of Peace, Prosperity, and Progress(“3Ps”).  I believe that this EAc is a vision that we all share.

To undertake such a task, we need to pursue cooperation on all fronts, including institutional, political, security, economic, social and cultural fields, both comprehensively and simultaneously.

Of these diverse fields, economic cooperation in particular has been highlighted for regional cooperation.  As I mentioned earlier, the ASEAN+3 mechanism was developed during the course of overcoming the regional financial crisis of 1997, and I believe that the ensuing movement toward economic integration will be the driving force for the pursuit of EAc in the future.

As you all know, the FTA between China and ASEAN was signed last year, and the FTA between Korea and ASEAN is being fine-tuned for an agreement this December.  The FTA between Japan and ASEAN is also in the works.  The ASEAN has set the goals of an AFTA by 2015, and the completion of a true ASEAN Community by 2020.

When the intricate web of bilateral FTAs between the major economies of the East Asian region are complete, I believe that the establishment of an East Asia Free Trade Agreement(EAFTA) will emerge as a feasible goal.

In this context, it is worth mentioning the discussion ongoing within the ASEAN+3 on creating a East Asian Free Trade Zone.  My government is willing to contribute toward moving the EAFTA forward.

Furthermore, we should also redouble our efforts on formulating a tangible plan to realize the mid to long-term measures recommended by the EASG Final Report in the fields of finance, energy, and institution building. Inclusion of these points in the "2nd Joint Statement on East Asian Cooperation" that is to be adopted in 2007, I believe, will help lay out the vision of East Asian cooperation for another decade.

Since the negotiation on these issues will soon be initiated at the Track I level between the ASEAN+3 members, I believe that our discussion today will provide useful inputs to these endeavors.

Distinguished Delegates,

The agreement to hold the first-ever EAS in December has opened a new chapter in the history of East Asian cooperation, rendering us new opportunities to pursue cooperation on a broad basis.

The early launching of the EAS is hoped to jump start constructive discussion necessary for East Asian cooperation.  We hope that the EAS, while respecting the norms of inclusiveness, openness, and multi-lateralism, will soon delineate its role and function.

In addition, the EAS, by contributing to East Asian cooperation should serve as a mechanism that helps the efforts toward integration and the building of a common identity in this region.

Fellow Colleagues,

Prosperity in East Asia cannot be sustained without peace and stability.  To effectively respond to the threats to our security, therefore, the countries in the region should strengthen cooperation in political and security issues as well.

One of the outstanding destablizing factors to the peace and stability of the East Asian region is the North Korean nuclear issue.  I believe that bringing this problem to a peaceful resolution and, furthermore, establishing a lasting peace regime on the Korean Peninsula will work towards reinforcing East Asian cooperation.

As a directly related party to the North Korea nuclear issue, my government has worked to resolve this issue based on the principles of zero tolerance for North Korea's nuclear program, peaceful resolution to the issue, and the active role of the Republic of Korea in the process.  We have also maintained close consultations with other related parties.

Fortunately, the Six Party Talks, after two years of often difficult negotiations, adopted a joint statement, here in Beijing last September 19, that outlines the direction and vision for the resolution of the North Korea nuclear issue.  The Joint Statement was a meaningful step forward, in that it balances North Korea's commitment to abandon its nuclear program with the agreement by the remaining parties to take corresponding measures.  

The next challenge lies in substantiating and ensuring the faithful implementation of the goals and principles spelled out in the Joint Statement during the upcoming round of Six-Party Talks.  My government hopes to achieve successful results in these talks.

The North Korean nuclear problem is an issue that needs to be resolved to pursue the building of an East Asian community, the topic which we are gathered here to discuss.  I would like to ask for the continued interest in and support for this issue from the governments and civil societies of the member countries.

Thank you.

(제1차관/2005.10.31/제3차 EAF/동남아과)