PUBLIC SPEECH OF DR. PARK, SEH-JIK, CHAIRMAN OF THE KOREAN
VETERANS ASSOCIATION (KVA) ON NATIONAL DAY, JUNE 25, 2007,
AT THE RECEPTION FOR THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF KOREA,
THE HONORABLE ROH MOO HYUN
SEOUL, REPUBLIC OF KOREA
The Reception for the Korean War Veterans
June 25, 2007
Crystal Ballroom, Lotte Hotel World
Reception Remarks
By
Chairman Park, Seh-Jik
The Korean Veterans Association
His Excellency, President Roh Moo Hyun!
We would, first and foremost, like to express our heartfelt gratitude for throwing such a wonderful reception for the veterans from home and abroad despite your busy schedule in the state affairs.
We would also thank you for always giving extraordinary love and care to the active duty soldiers and former brave soldiers. Especially, we very much appreciate your visit to the “Pocheon” excavating site of the remains of the Korean War dead, the first ever as Supreme Commander of the ROK Military, paying tribute to the fallen patriots and expressing your strong support for finding war dead remains.
The Korean Veterans Association has been running the Korea Re-visit Program every year since 1975, inviting Korean War veterans from 21 nations and enhancing blood-tied friendship.
This time, Korean War veterans from the U.S., Colombia, Greece and the Netherlands are visiting Korea under this program and directly witnessing the remarkable achievements of the Republic of Korea. They should be proud of themselves because their dedicated sacrifices for peace and democracy during the Korean War were not in vain.
The Korean War veterans, however, have witnessed that any promise with communists has become a mere scrap of paper. So, they ask the Korean people to maintain the strong security posture without exposing any security weak point so as not to let North Korea be lured to attempt another war.
I would like to report to H.E. the earnest wishes of old veterans to stay alert keeping in mind the following North Korea’s schemes:
The ultimate purpose of North Korean Military to communize South Korea has never been changed as stipulated in the Labor Party platform. So the North’s strategy is as follows:
By maintaining nuclear weapons and menacing the South with them, the North would attempt to seize the South as hostage. By doing so, the North will be able to seek direct dialogue, which will produce US-North Korea Peace Treaty, and will possibly allow eventual withdrawal of US forces from South Korea. Then the North would attempt to take over the entire Korean Peninsula by way of the low-level federation which is specified in the June 15th South-North Joint Declaration.
I would once again like to recommend that H.E. President Roh who bears supreme responsibilities for the states affairs would listen to the desires of the veterans and concerns of security experts and reflect them on the national policies toward the North. With these words, I would like to propose a toast.
Please respond to my “We Ha Yo!” when we cheer.
To the happiness and health of the Veterans from home and
abroad,
To H.E. President and Mrs. Roh Moo Hyun, the gracious host of this afternoon’s reception, for their long life,
“We Ha Yo!”
Thank you.
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(Posted 6/29/07)