Park urges ‘international collaboration to resolve N.K.’s nuke, human rights’ at ASEM

Park urges ‘international collaboration to resolve N.K.’s nuke, human rights’ at ASEM. October. 18, 2014 18:25. .

President Park Geun-hye urged the international community to cooperate to address North Korea’s nuclear threat and human rights violation at a free discussion session of the Asia-Europe Meeting or ASEM, in Milan on Friday.

“North Korea has continued policy seeking nuclear weapons development and economic growth in parallel as the only country to have conducted nuclear tests in the 21st century,” Park said. “The human rights situation in the North, which was revealed through investigation by the U.N. Council of Inquiry, spawned serious concern in the international community.”

“North Korea agreed on high-level inter-Korean dialogue, but soon after that it caused exchange of fires at the Northern Limit Line in the Yellow Sea and the military demarcation line, posing threat to security situation of the Korean Peninsula,” Park said, stressing that North Korea should end such incompatible behaviors and sincerely come forward for dialogue. She directly countered the North’s "offensives of demand for dialogue" aimed only at gaining the upper hand in inter-Korean talks, and indicated that the South will leave open doors for dialogue but will not give up "principles."

Park called for international collaboration as well, saying, “We can bring about meaningful changes in North Korea if ASEM member states send a clear message to Pyongyang that the North can receive international aid and investment only when it displays sincerity in addressing its nuclear development and human rights issues.”

“It will become a message of life and peace from the Korean Peninsula to the world,” President Park said on the proposed construction of World Ecological Peace Park within the Demilitarized Zone. “If the world makes this area in which South and North Korea aim their guns at each other across the barbed wire fences into a space for sharing the value of peace and life, it will effectively constitute removal of the biggest detonator threatening peace and security in Northeast Asia.”

President Park held a bilateral meeting with Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang on Friday. Li said, “China supports peaceful reunification of the Korean Peninsula, and will play a constructive role to this end,” adding, “We have a firm stance that the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula should be achieved.”

After completing sessions at the ASEM, President Park moved to Rome and carried out her official schedule in Italy. Especially upon arriving in Rome, the president met anew Pope Francis in the Vatican about two months after their meeting in Seoul. Park once again called on the Pontiff to pray for peace and unification of the Korean Peninsula.

Meanwhile, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe held talks, standing, with Chinese Prime Minister Li at the ASEM meeting on Friday for the first time since his inauguration.

President Park will return to Seoul on Saturday afternoon after completing her five-day visit to Italy.