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The President visited the University of Oslo on September 11 and gave a speech titled “Korea Route and its New Horizon” in the school’s auditorium.
The President explained Korea’s policy direction and philosophy coupled with his own personal experiences to about 450 government and academic officials and students including Fanny Duckert, dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences; Ulf Sverdrup, director of the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs.
“The value of humanity practiced by Norway is what Korea, which has the tradition of Hongik Ingan, or a humanitarian ideal, has pursued,” The President said in the speech.
The President expressed his deep gratitude to Norway, which took part in the Korean War and assisted Korea in many ways. He also said Korea has developed from an aid recipient to an aid donor and promised that the Korean government will provide development aid to underdeveloped nations with an attitude that understands those that receive aid.
“Korea experienced colonization, war and division in the last 100 years and our people have the dearest wish for peace,” he said.
Urging North Korea to give up its nuclear arms development program, The President said, “If North Korea gives up nuclear weapons and becomes a part of international society in line with the resolution chosen by the United Nations, the world will help North Korea, beginning with South Korea.
“It will not only help North Korea but also bring peace and prosperity to the Korean Peninsula and Northeast Asia.”
Speaking of the situation in Northeast Asia, The President said Northern European countries suffered disputes and conflicts until the early 20th century but have maintained peace for the last 100 years, which is dubbed the “Nordic Peace.”
“We need to systematically study what kinds of lessons and implications it has on Northeast Asia,” he added.v In addition, The President said climate change is another challenge faced by the world and the international community needs to make more effort to solve the problem, reiterating the importance of green growth.
On the same day, The President and his delegation visited the Fram Museum as part of their visit to Norway. The Fram was the ship used by Roald Amundsen during his expedition to the South Pole in 1910-1912.
In the middle of his busy schedule in Oslo, The President called scientists involved in polar research at the Arctic Dasan Station, which celebrates its tenth anniversary; the ice breaker ship Araon that just returned from the Arctic research, and the King Sejong Antarctic Station through videophone and was briefed about the situation in the research fields.
By Limb Jae-un
Korea.net Staff Writer
