Ambassador Speeches

Ambassador Christopher R. Hill Remarks to the Korea America Friendship Society

(as delivered)

Shilla Hotel, October 14, 2004

AMBASSADOR HILL: Professor Park, thank you so much for those very kind words. You know, since coming back to Korea on August 12th, I have had this feeling of coming home, since we have found some of our friends here from the 1980s and we're making new friends every day. So it's wonderful to be here; I am so honored by the reception I've had here, and in a certain sense I feel a little burdened by it too, because I know how important it is that the United States and Korea have this special relationship. I've talked to a lot of people about how important it is - in my opinion, how important it should be in Korea, but you know, it's very important in my country too, because we need Korea. We need some countries that not only like us, but think like us. We need some countries that understand that it's a tough place out there in the world, and it's not always easy, the problems we have to deal with.

In Korea we have really a very special partner. So I come here with a certain sense of burden, to make sure that I leave this relationship in an even better condition than I found it. But I must say, thanks to organizations like the Korea America Friendship Society, our relationship is in pretty good shape. Those of you who not only have been active members of this society, but also in your professional lives all should take a certain amount of pride in what you've done to build this relationship. Yet relationships are never just country to country. That really doesn't tell the story. It's really about people to people connections. It means that when an American comes to a place like Korea, who has never been to Korea before, and a Korean person extends his hand to that American, that really feels very good to us.

I know what many of you have done for our American soldiers in Korea living very far away from home, and you've reached out to many of them and made them feel very special. So I think we really have something very important to protect. That is, we have a relationship between two countries that frankly there is not a better relationship anywhere in the world. Nothing better than what we have going here. By the way, I include Poland, though we have a good thing going there, too.

So, as great as this relationship has been, nonetheless, we have now to face some changes. And change is always a challenge; change is always tough, but change is something we have to do and we will manage it.

To be sure, some of these changes are changes that are taking place on the Korean peninsula. That is, changes in the relative abilities of Korea to handle peace and stability on the peninsula - that is, dealing with the threat posed by North Korea. But I think these changes actually go further, and I think they have to do with Korea's new role in the world.

It may be difficult for some Koreans to realize that being the 11th largest industrial power in the world, many countries in the world, including many of the countries I've served in, look up to Korea for leadership.

Once many of these countries understand that, for example, Samsung is a Korean company and not a Japanese company, or Hyundai is a Korean company, not a Japanese company, once they understand that - everyone is understanding that now: that Korea is really in quite a different situation. So that affects a lot of things, and certainly it affects our relationship.

So we're going to have a different relationship, but in many respects, a better relationship. We're going to have a relationship based on shared interests, based on mutual endeavors, things that we want to see succeed in the world. We're going to have a relationship based on shared interests which involves making sure that the world is safe for both of our countries.

So we have a lot to build, but we also have a very strong foundation: 50 years on which to build.

I want to go over some of the goals that I will be trying to achieve here. The first is in the area of security cooperation.

Through the Future of the Alliance initiative, we are making U.S. forces in Korea stronger, while we are trying to lessen the burdens on local communities of having those forces.

I hope, during my time here, we will be able to relocate almost all the U.S. forces out of Seoul and consolidate our military facilities into a more sustainable and effective presence.

We're going to do this in a way that absolutely nobody will doubt the resolve, nobody will doubt the strength that we have to deter any kind of problem in the Korean peninsula.

While we're reducing the number of infantry, we are increasing the amount of other systems, including some of the best technologies the world has ever seen in the military area.

We are deploying some of the most advanced defensive systems the world has ever seen, including the PAC-3 Patriot missiles, including in Gwangju.

But as we deploy more assets, we're also looking to provide more missions to the Korean forces, and as we turn over missions to the Korean forces, we will ensure that those forces are absolutely prepared to assume those missions.

But security does not just mean the military. It also means very active diplomacy. And here we are working very closely with our friends in the Republic of Korea on above all, right now, the six-party talks to deal with the North Korean nuclear issue.

The six-party process has a lot of challenges involved in it. But the most important thing is that we need to work together to present a united front to the North Koreans.

So we are really going to be a very closely-knit team, but even different players on a team will have different roles, and we understand that the Republic of Korea will have some different approaches to North Korea. But what is important is we coordinate our approaches and make sure they can all strengthen each other.

And this is important to understand, because the Republic of Korea has some initiatives that we are not engaged in, but which we absolutely support. I want to make very clear that this Kaesong initiative that the Republic of Korea has is something we want to see succeed, and we will do all we can to make it a success.

As we build this new relationship, we need to look beyond just the problems of the peninsula, and to consider the fact that we need to be actively engaged diplomatically and, at times, militarily in other parts of the world. The most important of these right now is Iraq.

I know this was a tough decision for Korea, to deploy forces to Iraq, but as is often the case with tough decisions, it was also the right decision.

I'm not going to stand up here and tell you that everything is going beautifully in Iraq, and that everything is going to turn out perfectly. But I will tell you that, however Iraq turns out, the world's 11th largest industrial power needs to be involved in that solution.

In addition to the security area, both military and diplomatic, our relation needs to be built on a broader foundation. So there are other elements that I want to work on very hard. One of the most important of those is our economic relationship.

We've got an excellent relationship. But that doesn't mean we can't make it better. What I would like to see is for us to address the various trade problems we have - trade problems which often end up making people very upset, trade problems which often cause certain emotions, and understandably, because they are very sensitive problems. But I want to see if we can begin to solve these trade problems and get us in the right direction toward reaching a point where we can begin a negotiation on a free trade area.

I approach the idea of a Free Trade Agreement with the thought that this is good for us, and I think Koreans will believe that it's good for Korea. So, if something is good for both sides, let's get to work and figure out what the problems are, what's blocking the way, and open the road so that we can begin to drive toward a Free Trade Agreement.

For example, one of the things blocking the road is we can't talk really about a Free Trade Agreement until we have a business and investment treaty. We know the issues involved in that, so let's get that solved and move on to the next problem, all the time navigating according to the direction we want, which is a Free Trade Agreement.

Just as sailors on ships used to use the stars for navigation, let's fix ourselves on this Free Trade Agreement and let's head toward it.

And the third area that I'm very concerned about is - all right, we work very hard on security, we work very hard on economic issues, but frankly, neither of those means much unless we work very hard on getting our people closer together.

Now, last year we celebrated 50 years of an alliance, a security relationship, but actually that's only 50 years. We have 100 years since the first Korean came to the United States as an immigrant.

We have tens of thousands of Korean students studying in the United States. And, by the way, my wife Patty and I are proud to say we have one American who has come back this way, to study at Ewha; that is our daughter.

In short, we've made this kind of a two-way street.

But we've got to deal with ways that help to open up our borders and have more exchanges. So, what I want to pledge to you is we are going to work very hard in the short run to make sure that we make visas as accessible to anyone who needs one and is willing to live within the terms of the visa. We are going to work very hard on that in the short run.

But in the longer run, what we want to do is create a situation where the next time the United States begins to open up for new countries in the visa waiver program, I want to see Korea be one of those countries so that when Koreans want to go to the States, they don't need a visa, they just go.

But we've got some problems on that road as well. One of them is we still have a certain percentage, and I'm pleased to say it's not a big percentage, but it's still a little too big, of people who want to go to the U.S. who apply as tourists but in fact want to do other things in the U.S. that are not consistent with the status of being a tourist, or a business person, or a student.

So, if we can make people understand that if you want to go work in the U.S., please don't apply for a tourist visa. If we can get everyone who wants to work to stop applying for tourist visas, and to stop saying they want to go to Disneyland when they really want to go work at McDonald's or something, if we can get that situation, we can get Korea ready for this visa waiver program. Now I want to tell you I am utterly committed to my part to getting that done.

So in the short run, we're going to try to reduce the lines to make it easier to get a visa; we've added new consular officers, we're adding more space for the visa processing, and, by the way, I'll tell you the most important thing we've done: we've brought the absolute best Consul General, named Michael Kirby, who is here today, all the way from Poland to make this work. So we're doing all these things in the short run. But in the longer run, we're aiming toward getting this visa waiver program, and I'll repeat to you again, because I want you to hold me to this, we're going to get that done.

I just wanted to put a little pressure on Michael, here. It's a management technique. (laughter)

Let me say that I've been here just two months, and people often say to me "How is Korea? What's it like now compared to the 1980s?" Well, I would say that Korea was always a complicated place. It's even more complicated now. And what I need to do is get around, see a lot of people, and most important, especially for a diplomat, is to stop talking and start listening. So I will do my best to get around to meet as many people as possible and hear people talk and sometimes to hear rather unpleasant things, and that's already happened, but I'm quite happy to do that. But I will get around and will see what is going on here and I will stress what for me is the Bible, which is the U.S.-Korean relationship. It is very strong, but it can be even stronger, and indeed, it is truly going to be one of the best in the world. So, I thank you very much. I see this opportunity to meet with all of you as an opportunity to meet with friends and to really feel very much at home. So, I thank you very much.

QUESTION: One thing I would like to hear from the U.S. Ambassador is about the North Korean Human Rights Act, which was passed by both the Senate and the House in the U.S. Is there anything you would like to tell us regarding this Act, and what you think will be the effects or role that this Act will play in the future?

AMBASSADOR HILL: Well, first of all, I think people should not be surprised that the U.S. Congress has passed this act - and by the way, the President has not yet signed it - but I think it reflects a deeply held view about the human rights situation in North Korea. So, I think people first of all should try to understand this as a sincere effort to do something about the human rights situation in North Korea.

But I think there could be some value in making clear to the North Koreans that they are not going to be a member of the international community either holding nuclear weapons or owning a human rights record of the kind they have today. In short, if you want to be a member of the international community, you've got to understand there are some standards, and the standards are not just determined by the country in question - in this case, North Korea - but they are determined by the international community. So, the North Koreans do need to reflect a little on this.

But will the naming of a special envoy on human rights help the situation in North Korea? Will the provision of additional funds to enhance the ability of various radio stations broadcasting to North Korea, will that be able to help? Will the provision of additional numbers to help refugees and asylum-seekers resettle in the United States, will that help? I'm not so sure. I don't know. But what I do know is that North Korea needs to understand that a human rights record is very important and it's not their internal affair, it's not the Korean peninsula's internal affair, it's not Northeast Asia's internal affair, it is an international affair. So if they cannot understand the words, they should at least listen to the music. And the music, I think, is pretty clear.

QUESTION: I'd like to ask this question in English, if I may.

AMBASSADOR HILL: It's okay with me. (laughter)

QUESTION: There is a growing concern in South Korea today, worry of possible attitude or behavior or ideological manner of the current administration in Korea leaning more toward the left, in terms of (inaudible) and ideology. I know this is not a question, but what is your assessment (inaudible) on that, and (inaudible) the role the market can play if (inaudible)?

AMBASSADOR HILL: Ambassador Park is looking at me and smiling, because he knows my answer already. (laughter) Which is: look, I don't even interfere in internal U.S. affairs, let alone interfere in internal Korean affairs. I understand there is a vigorous political competition within Korea. I understand that there are a lot of people in the opposition. I not only understand it, I heard them, because my house is very near the "shi cheong." I understand that there is a lot of criticism, frustration coming from the opposition, but it's not my business. It's the opposition's business to make their programs known, to say "we have a better idea than the government has," to criticize the government. That's for the opposition to do; it's not for foreign diplomats to get in the middle of that. It's not my business. So, you know, even if I were a private person, as an American, am I really such an expert that I can talk about domestic Korean politics better than a Korean person here? I don't think so. So, as a matter of analysis, do I think it's a bad thing that there is a sort of center-left group in power and a center-right group in opposition or vice versa? Do I think it's a bad thing that you have two different distinct political movements? You know, most people see that as kind of healthy. I feel very good about the political process in Korea. I think you have to judge a country by the quality of its government, but also by the quality of its opposition. I feel pretty good about Korea, and I'm just not going to get involved in naming my favorites. I prefer tennis to golf. I'll admit that. But I'm not going to get into the issue of who is a better government - that's for you to figure out.

QUESTION: You had mentioned that it is not your business to comment about the situation within Korea, but it seems that because of the anti-American sentiments within South Korea, this has led to growing anti-Korean sentiment within the U.S. Case in point is many of the shops run by Koreans or Korean-Americans in the U.S. saw a dramatic decrease in the number of customers. The customers are saying, "You have anti-U.S. sentiments; why should we come and be your customer?" But, what you have to understand is that most South Koreans still think of the U.S. as our blood ally. We want to have eternal friendship with the U.S. So I think it is your business to try to persuade and explain to the Americans in the U.S.

AMBASSADOR HILL: Okay, I stand corrected on that. But let me say… you make a very important point. You know, it is hard in the U.S. when people see images in Korea of anti-American demonstrations. One thing I try to do is to put some of these demonstrations into a little better context. Now, what do I mean by "context?" Ever since I got here in August, every day, on Sejong-ro, or somewhere in that area, there is a demonstration going on. And what I've grown to understand is that Korean people demonstrate. In the U.S., we send stupid letters to our Congressmen. That's how we participate in our political process. But in Korea, people go out and demonstrate. I saw even in one demonstration a guy who was clearly a… he had been paid to try to give instructions to the demonstrators on how to demonstrate. It's a serious business in Korea. It's not all anti-American. Frankly, I've seen very few anti-American demonstrations. I think there was one, and it wasn't even well attended. So what I try to do in the U.S. with my American friends, who do have this image of Korea - a number of them said "Oh, take your gas mask before you go," because they expect tear gas everywhere. I have not had any problem breathing the air here. So I need to try to set some context. But I think I also need to explain to you my countrymen, that in fact, we are going to have a different relationship in Korea, and that the younger generation in Korea does have a different collective memory. And we need to respect that and understand it, and not get upset about it, but understand it - and in fact, come up with some ideas for how to deal with it. So that's what I'm trying to do here. But, finally, okay - it is my job to try to explain to Americans; it is my job to try to set the context, et cetera. I would also argue it's Koreans' jobs too, to explain to Americans what's going on in their country. Anyone who believes in this relationship, and I'm a strong believer in this relationship, and I take from your question you are too. Anyone who believes in this, we all have a job to do here. I just feel there is a lot of good will and a lot of experience together, and we're going to be fine. We are going to be fine, and this issue of boycotting Korean shops… we'll work on that.

(applause)

Thank you very much.