The last President’s Update noted that 2007 was rapidly drawing to a close—as I am concluding this Update,
here in the Central Time Zone 2008 will arrive in eleven hours, and in Seoul it has already been 2008 for
four hours!
However you measure it, no matter where you observe it, we look to the future in most human activities.
I am taking the opportunity to close 2007 with two quotations addressing the future.
Dr. Kim Sang-chul, former Mayor of Seoul, Former Supreme Court Judge, Chairman of the National Korean
Crisis Center—associated with my responsibilities as US Chairman of the US-Korea Allies Council, looking
to the future—comments about the Future of Korea: "The world is watching the final outcome of the presidential
election and regime change on the Korean peninsula. That's because global society yearns to see the victory
of freedom and democracy on the Korean peninsula and put a period on ideological confrontation with the
rest of the world. The greatest task of Korean politics is to determine if regime change in the Republic
of Korea can spread free democracy to the North and foster free and democratic unification of the entire
Korean peninsula."
The second future thought addresses today, tomorrow and a generation: "Our nation's men and women
in uniform must rank with the finest Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines in our country's history. And
it has been wonderful to see how those at home support our troops in harm's way and their families. I can
imagine no greater privilege than serving with the new 'Greatest Generation' here in Iraq." General
David Petraeus, Baghdad, IRAQ, December 31, 2007.
National President, KWVA/US
Chairman of the Board