The President attended the fifth Bali Democracy Forum on November 8, where he delivered a keynote speech and co-led the general debate with Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

Under the theme ”Relevance of advancing democratic principles at the global setting,” the participants mainly talked about international peace, security, economic growth, and improvement of human rights possibly achieved by effective democratic global governance.

In his keynote speech, The President talked about democracy, describing it as one of the greatest human achievements, praising the steady progress towards its consolidation, and emphasizing the need to promote further development of democracy as well as human rights for international peace and prosperity.
 

The President expressed his concern about the human rights situation in North Korea while stressing the need to promote human rights, defining it as the ultimate goal of democracy. The President also mentioned a historic issue on infringement of human rights during World War II, asking for an honest apology for the abuse of personal rights of sexual slavery victims from the country involved.

Following his keynote speech, the Korean head of state co-led the general debate with the Indonesian leader.

After the morning session, The President took part in a luncheon and met with the leaders of Indonesia, Australia, Brunei, Afghanistan, East Timor, Iran, Turkey, Thailand, and Papua New Guinea to exchange views on a variety of topics such as development of democracy and human rights, bilateral relations, and regional circumstances in Asia Pacific regions.

Established in 2008, Bali Democracy Forum has served as an opportunity for national leaders to talk and pledge for cooperation on the enhancement and consolidation of democratization.

By Lee Seung-ah
Korea.net Staff Writer