The Honorable Steven Knapp, President of George Washington University, Dear students, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,

It is great to see all of you. I must thank President Knapp once again for personally attending my Inaugural ceremony last year. I remember it was one of the coldest days in Seoul.

It is a great privilege for me to be given this distinguished honor by one of the most respected institutions of higher learning in the United States. This university was founded on the principles set forth by one of America’s founding fathers, President George Washington and this was also the place where one of Korea’s founding fathers, the late President Syngman Rhee, studied political science. Today, I humbly, and with much gratitude and solemn sense of responsibility, accept this recognition. However, what makes me happy more than anything else is that now I have become a true George.

Back in 1999, I spent a year here as a visiting fellow. The time I spent here at GW was a time of deep reflection and quiet contemplation. I took many walks along Kogan Plaza and thought about where Korea must go and what we must do. During my time spent on the campus of GW, I learned about the United States and what it stands for and what we can learn from its people. I was glad for all that this country has done for my country and thought about what kind of friendship we should work towards in this new century. It’s been a decade since and now as I stand before you as President of Korea to receive this honor, the ideals and dreams I dreamt here are still very much alive in my heart.

My dear fellow students,

When someone asks you about Korea, what comes to mind? Some of you may think “kimchi!” while others think of Samsung cell phones or Hyundai cars. Some of you may think of the recent World Baseball Classic (WBC) where Korean athletes performed exceptionally well. Or the 2002 World Cup where we advanced to the quarter finals. Some of you may know Korea as the last remaining divided country in the world. Or think of North Korea’s recent nuclear testing. Some of your grandfathers may be Korean War veterans and so you may have heard of how poor and freezing cold Korea was back in 1950. Some of you may have Korean friends here so you may think of things that are more recent, such as the dominance of our female golfers on the LPGA scene.

Whatever it is that comes to your mind, as president of Korea, what I can tell you with certainty is that Korea is all that and more. Korea in the 1950s was the dusty and barren land that you read in Steinbeck’s “Grapes of Wrath” That, of course, is no more.

Korea is a country whose history dates back more than five thousand years. What is more striking is that it managed to retain its rich cultural heritage despite challenges that would have broken any nation apart. Korea was a victim of numerous invasions throughout its history, it was brutally colonized and after gaining its independence, it was soon divided into two. When North Korea invaded my country in 1950, it took away millions of lives and displaced millions more. The war left my country in such complete ruin that a US army general who took part in the war commented that “this country will never be able to recover from this even in a hundred years.” War and subsequent poverty was soon followed by brutal dictatorships and political oppression. Even as recent as the 1980’s, one British newspaper quipped that finding democracy in Korea was like finding a rose in a pile of garbage. Harsh comments indeed. Of course, there were many more challenges after that and many more will come. But, as a country of resilience, resolve and courage, I can tell you that Korea and its people will endure and overcome.

Today, Korea is a completely different nation. In 1950, our per capita income was less than fifty US dollars. Today, it is close to twenty thousand. We have the thirteenth largest economy in the world. We are now part of the G-20 and the current Secretary-General of the United Nations is a proud son of Korea. When you consider that Korea could not even join the United Nations for many years because it was divided, that is quite an impressive feat. In the arts, sports, politics, science and more, Koreans have become leaders and are forging the way ahead. Of all the countries that gained independence following the end of the Second World War, Korea is the sole country to have achieved both industrialization and democratization. Some consider all of this a “miracle” but I see it as the result of hard work, passion to excel and sheer determination.

Many ask me “What is the secret of Korea’s phenomenal growth?” My answer to them is : our passion to learn. For a small country with almost no natural resources, educating our human resources was always important and this is best exemplified in our mothers. They were the ones who sacrificed all that they had to provide a good education for their children so that they could have what they themselves could only dream of. Educating our young generation was the only way out of misery and to cutting the endless cycle of poverty that has plagued us for years.

To share a personal story with you, I would not be here were it not for my mother and her passion for education. Our family was too poor to send all my siblings to school. Being the youngest, my turn would have never come. But my mother never gave up in her quest to send me to school. Neither did I. My mother’s tireless determination enabled me to enroll in high school. I did not stop there. I wanted to study more so I applied to a university and got accepted. As for my tuition, I paid my way through university by collecting garbage and doing all kinds of odd jobs. Life was certainly never easy but it was these kinds of determination that drove my country forward. Even to this day, what sustains Korea is its passion for learning.

Just as President Obama made history by working and studying hard, I stand before you because I went to school and did my best. As President Obama mentioned in one of his speeches, passion for learning is what sustains Korea. Just to give you an example : over 80% of high-school graduates in Korea go to college.

Another factor that has helped Korea achieve its dramatic development is of course the assistance from our friends and allies.

During the Korean War, 33,000 American soldiers sacrificed their lives in defending my country. They came to defend a country many of them never knew, a country they never even knew it existed.

The Korean War Memorial is not far from here. It is in front of the Arlington National Cemetery and those of you who haven’t visited this beautiful memorial yet, please do so. There, you will find what your country stands for and what your grandparents did for others. You will find what courage and sacrifice means. You will be proud of what your country did and understand how grateful we are and that when we say thank you, we really mean it. Likewise, in my message to the American soldiers in Korea commemorating Memorial Day, I said that we will never forget the selfless sacrifice given to us by the young American soldiers to defend freedom and peace of Korea.

When my country was completely in ruin following the war, the generosity of others gave us hope. Many Peace Corps volunteers came to Korea to teach young children and provide medical services. One of these young female volunteers would later become a diplomat. Her name is Kathleen Stephens and she is now the US Ambassador to Korea. A girl from Montana volunteered her youth to helping others and that led to her a distant land called Korea, first as a Peace Corp volunteer and now, thirty years later, as the highest government official representing the United States in Korea!

As many of you know, Korea is the only country that is still divided. We will one day achieve unification but until that happens, it is important to maintain a peaceful relationship with our neighbor in the North. However, North Korea continues to engage in belligerent activities. They recently conducted another underground nuclear test and test-fired long range rockets, threatening peace and stability of Northeast Asia and beyond. Under no circumstances will we allow nuclear weapons. Recently, the House of Representatives in Congress passed a resolution calling for peace on the Korean Peninsula and during my talks with President Obama and the House and Senate leadership, we reaffirmed our firm commitment to achieve this goal.

North Korea must fully give up their nuclear ambitions and become a member of the international community. North Korea must understand that it is in their best interest to fully give up their nuclear weapons ambitions. When North Korea takes meaningful steps towards peace and dialogue, Korea and the rest of the international community stand ready to extend a helping hand. The UN Security Council unanimously adopted Security Council Resolution 1874 which is another effort by the international community to bring peace. The capital of South Korea, Seoul, is only forty miles away from the demilitarized zone which separates the two Koreas. That’s less than the distance from here to Baltimore. Koreans will not be intimidated and our quest for peace will not be deterred. With firm conviction and yearning for permanent peace, we will seek peaceful unification of the Peninsula.

Distinguished guests, dear students,

The world that we are living in is becoming more and more interconnected, complex and uncertain. Information can be accessed almost instantaneously but it is becoming more and more difficult to accurately predict what will happen, let alone make a timely decision. There are no clear cut issues. The way we communicate has been forever altered with new gadgets and new technology. Recent edition of TIME magazine talks about Twitter and how this is changing the way we communicate and connect to one another. I have not joined Twitter yet but I will certainly think about it. However, asking a President to say things in 140 words or less is asking a bit too much. So, when I do join, I will ask the people at Twitter if they could extend it to 200 words just for me.

During times like these, it is imperative that we adhere to our core values, our principle beliefs. It is important for us to make decisions based on such core beliefs. This is value-based governance. The values that we must continue to uphold and pursue in the 21st century must be protecting freedom, promoting peace and preserving the environment. Human rights and freedom for all mankind must be espoused at all cost

I consider the current global economic and financial crisis not just as another crisis to be overcome but an event with deep and long-lasting historical significance. It is a transformative moment for mankind. Those who invest in the future, those who are ready for change, those who are willing to take that courageous leap towards the unknown are going to be the ones who shape the future. And we must cease from dismissing the calls for more decency and for exercising moral responsibility in our governance.

One issue of urgency is global warming. This issue cannot be put off or delayed. The major cause may have begun in the advanced economies but we must now collectively address it because this problem will never solved by a handful of countries. Korea will become an early mover and this is why I have announced our vision for the future which we call Green Growth. Thomas Friedman stresses the importance of Code Green in his eponymous book and calls this far more valuable than fifty Kyoto Protocols combined.

Sustainable growth will promote environmental protection and vice versa. Such positive cycle will transform our economy. It is about creatively responding to climate change and our energy needs. Fusion between high-tech and green-tech will reduce our over-reliance on fossil fuels and increase our usage of new and renewable energies. Green Growth seeks prosperity and well-being not only for the current generation but the generations to come. And let it be clear that this is not a matter of choice but a decision borne out of necessity.

The “Basic Law on Green Growth” has already been submitted to our National Assembly and once this is passed, we will be in a better position to comprehensively tackle global climate change and become a true Green Nation. We will vigorously implement various measures, such as reforming our transportation and electricity grids, retrofitting buildings, realigning our energy infrastructure as well as our education sector. Korea has established the East Asia Climate Partnership Initiative that will develop new and renewable sources of energy, joint forestation projects and eco-friendly technology with our international partners.

During the last G-20 Summit in London last April, I called on all leaders to pursue Green Growth. The incredible amount of fiscal expenditures that are being invested into our economies should and must be geared towards planting the seeds for a greener future. Such call was duly reflected in the final joint statement.

Like I said, this century calls for us to be bold. We cannot forever keep on walking on the same path, headed towards the same destiny. We are called upon to explore and open up new paths. Such spirit is what made our nations great. It is what will keep us strong.

Recently, a famous Korean mountain climber pioneered a new path to Mount Everest. It has been officially named the “Korean Route.” He paved this way through uncharted and fierce virgin terrain

We do not yet have a leader in this area. And what makes Green Growth attractive is that it is a continuously evolving concept that will readily adapt to the needs of each individual countries. We intend to chart a Korean Route of Green Growth. 

Another important aspect that we must keep in mind as we seek to effectively tackle climate change is that we must remember to share newly acquired technologies with developing countries. We must make new and renewable sources of energy and its related technologies accessible to them. Korea will become a link between the advanced and emerging economies as we chart the new path forward. Because if we fail to do so, not all countries will take part and the consequences of that is too great.

Distinguished guests, fellow students,

Another agenda which I will continue as President is to make Korea a Global Korea.

Korea was once a nation that received but now we intend to become a nation that gives; we seek to become a rule-maker and not a rule-taker; a nation no longer on the peripheries but in the center of events, shaping the future. With a lofty vision, we will work for a safer Korea, more prosperous Asia and a world where justice prevails. We will carry out our share of responsibility to make this happen not just for us, but for all of us.

As the world goes through this crisis, many governments are deciding to freeze or even cut back their official development assistance, or ODAs. Korea on the other hand has decided to increase its share every year. We are also committed to working together with our neighbors so that they will learn the way to make their lives richer and fuller. It is not simply about providing financial assistance. Korea has been fortunate to have achieved phenomenal growth in a short period of time; we hope to share our experience and know-how that we learned with our friends in Asia and Africa.

Recently, Korea consolidated the various volunteer agencies and institutions in Korea under one and we named it “World Friends Korea.” It sends out volunteers to all parts of the world. Young volunteers like you make up the bulk of this pioneering group. Currently, we have approximately 1,500 volunteers in 43 countries. Every year we will send roughly 3,000 volunteers every year.

Young Korean volunteers are joined by brave soldiers who are out in Lebanon, Iraq and Afghanistan and other regions to take part in peacekeeping operations and also peaceful reconstruction. In 13 regions around the world, we are helping the locals build schools and hospitals. Our doctors provide critical medical services and engage in vocational training. We help them fix their roads and bridges. Last March, the Korean navy dispatched a frigate to patrol the shores off Somalia to take part in the international effort to eradicate piracy. It’s good to know that we are being appreciated for our service to others.

Korea will be contributing to tackling these problems, the immediate ones as well as the long-term goals. Like I said, once we were a nation that received; now, we hope to become the nation that gives, the nation that contributes for the good of mankind. Let us not forget : terrorism, poverty, hunger and global warming will not kindly wait for us.

We live in a time when we must work together in all areas, and this includes economics, national security, environment and more. I assure you that Korea will continue to take part so that we can make a difference.

Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,

We are going through an unprecedented economic and financial crisis. I know that families have been hit hard, all around the world. Young graduates are having a hard time finding jobs. Parents are worried about their pensions and their future. As factories close, our fathers are losing hope. But, let us not lose hope. Let this be another opportunity for us to renew ourselves. I believe in the resilience of the US economy. Innovative and creative minds will transform this crisis into an opportunity. The global economy will recover but it is imperative that the US economy recovers. As the US economy recovers, you will find the jobs that you want and be there to lead this nation to a higher plateau.

Dear students,

History has presented us with a challenge that we are destined to carry forth. We are at an epochal moment. We are called upon to change and we must change. Robert Kennedy spoke of the “tiny ripple of hope” that will change the world. He called upon the young people to take the lead. President Obama called for a world without nuclear weapons, a world where we have religious harmony, where tolerance prevails and a world where we respect one another. These are indeed the kind of changes that we must all yearn for. And few of us will be able to single-handedly “bend history” but collectively, we can make a difference.

As a new GW alumni, I will do my very best to make you proud. I will do my part so that I, too, can make a difference.

I thank you once again for this great honor and God bless you.