Exploring New Frontiers Together
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I remember
speaking with President Obama after the U.S.-ROK summit meeting in October
2015. Our two nations had just decided
that the “New Frontiers” of cooperation in the areas of space, cyber, health,
energy, and the environment would play a central, pivotal role in our bilateral
relationship. President Obama asked me
to do my best to advance the U.S.-ROK Alliance in these important new
directions and to help expand our partnership.
He made it clear that the New Frontiers identified by the United States
and South Korea were not just talk: they
were a call to action and he hoped to see results.
Presidents Park and Obama at the White
House in October 2015
Over the past year,
we have taken many steps to realize the goals laid out at the summit. These new initiatives are reinforcing an
already vibrant and growing alliance between our two great countries. I was delighted to recount several instances
of our success in a recent speech
I gave where I also expressed great confidence in our continued movement
forward.
Official programs
and progress aside, there is another reason that I have confidence in our New
Frontiers initiatives. In my visits to
all corners of the peninsula, I have personally met or heard about some of the
amazing people already hard at work to make this vision of our two leaders a
reality. Cooperation in New Frontier
areas will build new people-to-people, industry-to-industry, and
government-to-government ties. While institutional
efforts are important, ultimately it is the people in our two countries who
will truly help us realize these goals.
After the speech on the “New Frontiers”
of cooperation
I would like to
briefly share with you a few of the New Frontier areas of cooperation below:
Health Security
In this day and
age, people and goods move quickly across borders. An isolated outbreak of illness can be just
an airplane flight away from transforming into a full-blown epidemic. In this fast-paced environment of modern
international travel, the effective administration of global health security
requires close cooperation between nations.
Washington and
Seoul recently joined together to combat the Ebola epidemic in West
Africa. South Korea alone sent 24
health-care workers to Sierra Leone and contributed $17.6 million to defeat the
virus. I had the opportunity to meet
these health-care workers last October and to thank them for their brave
service. The team had many stories to
tell about their time in West Africa and, as one of the doctors told me, the
experience of treating Ebola patients had a profound effect on the entire team.
After returning
home, all of the health-care workers agreed to lead an effort for the Korean
government to help poor countries strengthen their ability to respond to
biological threats. I was greatly
impressed by the team’s courage and inspired by their willingness to aid
others, even if it meant placing themselves in great peril. As long as there are people of this caliber
dedicated to the effort, our public health initiatives are bound to
succeed.
With Deputy Secretary Blinken,
thanking health-care workers for their brave service
The Environment
Controlling
pollution and preventing climate change are two important environmental
priorities. We must all work together to
preserve the health of our planet and the life it sustains. The United States and the Republic of Korea have
embarked upon a number of initiatives to improve and protect our environment.
I recently had the
pleasure of hosting an Earth Day celebration in the backyard of my residence. A group of 29 differently-abled Korean
children came over to plant lettuce, eggplant, red pepper and tomatoes. Their plan was not only to offset the carbon emissions
of industry by increasing green space, but also to improve the health of my family
by providing us with organic food. I
found it amazing that these kids, despite contending with great personal
challenges, also had the strength to care so much about others and our environment. Planting seeds in the earth was not easy for
all of the kids, but they were able to solve all logistical problems and
created a beautiful garden together. The
level of care and dedication they showed gave me confidence in humanity’s
ability to protect our environment and filled me with hope for the future.
Earth Day celebration in the backyard of my
residence!
Space
Cooperation
Space exploration
is important to the future of the world.
It brings about new technology, promotes the study of science and
technology, and creates jobs. Perhaps
most important of all, space exploration captures the imagination and inspires
people to explore the universe we live in.
This April,
Foreign Minister Yun and I signed a landmark agreement on space cooperation that
paved the way for enhanced collaboration in the exploration of outer space. Through this agreement, our nations hope to
engage in cutting edge planetary exploration and Earth observation.
At the signing ceremony,
I met six South Korean high school students who won an international NASA
competition with their design of a settlement for 10,000 humans in space. Their clever plan involved melting ice from asteroids
to collect oxygen and water as well as building the structure close to Earth in
order to shield its inhabitants from space radiation. Their drive, dedication, and imagination are very
inspiring. Young minds such as these
will truly be the engine that pushes humanity to the stars.
Listening to a fascinating space project
by Korean high school students
There are many
more amazing stories to tell about the people in South Korea who are pioneering
New Frontiers. The examples I’ve
provided represent only a few of the thousands of individuals doing
ground-breaking work in these new areas of cooperation. I look forward to meeting as many of them as
I can during my time in South Korea and I’m excited to see what type of world
we can create together.
The world community is deeply concerned about the levels of cruelty of South Korea with the illegal trade in dogs and cats meat.
ReplyDeletePlease talk to Korean authorities to end this macabre practice... We must put pressure across South Korea!