gala dinner

REMARKS BY CONSUL GENERAL YOUNG KUK PARK on THE OCCASION OF THE GALA FUNDRAISING NIGHT FOR THE

KOREAN WAR MEMORIAL IN SYDNEY

FRIDAY 1^ST JUNE 2007, LEICHHARDT

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Ladies and Gentlemen,

 

It is my honour to welcome you to this Gala Dinner.  This Gala Dinner is the first of its kind organized by the Oceania Branch of the Advisory Council on Democratic and Peaceful Unification.  This Gala Dinner is also the first black tie affair organized by the Korean community in Sydney.  I commend the chairperson Ms Heejin Koh and other members of the Advisory Council for the large amount of planning and preparation that has gone into this event.

 

I would also like to thank all of our guests, from our major sponsors to individual ticket holders, for their attendance tonight.  Your support and presence confirm that you share our desire to see a War Memorial erected in Sydney.

 

The idea of a Korean War Memorial was born out of a desire by the Korean community to show its gratitude to Australian soldiers for their sacrifice and dedication during the war.  Were it not for the support of our allies, including Australia, Korea would not be the democratic and prosperous country it is today.

 

The War Memorial will stand as a constant reminder of Australia’s sacrifice and valour.  It will also testify to the longstanding friendship between Australia and Korea.  Indeed, a War Memorial will pledge that the friendship will continue to expand and deepen across many fields.

 

But we have to remember that the mission was not completed.  We acknowledge that the end of the war left an unfinished state of affairs on the Korean peninsula.  This missing step is Unification.

 

This time, Unification must be achieved.  Not through war but through gradual, democratic and peaceful means.

 

With this objective in mind, the government has been pursuing a number of projects designed to promote inter-Korean relationship such as economic cooperation and exchanges in the social and cultural fields.   

 

So far we are developing Gaesong Industrial Complex, an industrial park inside North Korea.  We have also developed a tourism program on North Korea’s Mt Geumgang, catering to South Korean tourists. 

 

Recently, we witnessed the inaugural run of a new train line through a section of the demilitarized zone once sown with landmines.  The railway connects South and North Korea for the first time since the war.

 

All of these developments, I believe, will gradually lead to reunification in the near future.

 

Reunification, however, can not be achieved without the support of surrounding stakeholders, our Asia-Pacific neighbours, and other countries around the world.  Of course, the support of all ethnic Koreans around the world, which represent the growing power of Koreans, is essential to the process of unification.  That is, YOU, who are here tonight, are essential for unification.

 

One of the tasks of the Advisory Council on Democratic and Peaceful Unification is, I consider, to harness the will and capacity of Koreans throughout the world to achieve the goal of unification.

 

The Korean War Memorial will not be a mere reminder of past contributions but will embody all of our wishes and desires for reunification in the near future.  Its erection will be based on the solid bond of friendship between Australia and Korea.

 

I would like to once again commend the Council for organizing this wonderful dinner and to thank all of the sponsors and their guests for their support and participation.

 

Thank you.