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Korea’s deputy consul general, Bok-Ryeol Rhyou, delivered a wide-ranging address at Clayton State University July 29 that provided an overview of her country’s relations with the state of Georgia as well as its Northeast Asian neighbors.
In attendance at the Harry S. Downs Center were the 15 pre-nursing and nursing students from the Daejeon Health Sciences University, who have been participating in a four week study at Clayton State.
The relationship between Clayton State and the health sciences university in Daejeon, South Korea, was initiated by Jeong-Hwa Lee Towery, a partner in the Atlanta office of the Nelson Mullins law firm, and Lisa Eichelberger, dean of Clayton State’s College of Health.
Dr. Eichelberger told Global Atlanta that at the urging of Ms. Towery she and Thomas Hynes, Clayton State’s president, explored the possibilities of entering into a relationship with the health sciences university.
In March 2013, the two institutions signed a memorandum of understanding providing a general framework for student and faculty exchanges.
The arrival of the pre-nursing and nursing students in July represents the first step in a relationship that is expected to expand into Clayton State’s nursing programs and separate business school programs.
During their time at Clayton State the nursing students took courses in English as a second language including medical terminology. They also witnessed the health care provided by area hospitals and community agencies.
Dr. Eichelberger said that students from Daejeon Health Services University are expected to apply to Clayton State’s nursing programs in the future as the relationship between the two institutions strengthens.
Prior to her arrival in Atlanta in February 2013, Dr. Rhyou served as the director of press relations for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; political counselor for the Korean Embassies in Paris and Tunis, the capital of Tunisia; deputy director of European Affairs at the foreign affairs ministry, among other posts. She received a Medal of Merit from the Korea president in 2011 and was awarded a certificate from the foreign ministry in 2004.
Dr. Rhyou’s address follows:
Introduction
I would like to begin by thanking Clayton State University for inviting me. It is a real honor to speak with you today about my country, South Korea.
Do you know Korea’s exact location? You may think it’s just somewhere in East Asia. The Korean peninsula is nestled between China and Japan, with roughly the same size as the state of Minnesota. The peninsula itself is divided into two countries – South Korea and North Korea.
Although Korea was once a united country for several millennia, 35 years of colonization under Imperial Japan and the Korean War which followed shortly after separated the north from the south. This tragic separation has remained since the end of the Korean War in 1953. At the end of the war, the two Koreas took very different paths. South Korea has pursued capitalism and democracy. North Korea, on the other hand, has established the world’s first hereditary Communist regime.
Known as the hermit kingdom, little is known about North Korea, its structure, and how the average person lives. The current ruler, Kim Jong Un, is the third in a line of dictators who focus on the growth of military and nuclear weapons rather than focusing on the welfare of his people and improving relations with the international community.
South Korea, on the other hand, has made great strides since the end of the Korean War. Although South Korea is roughly one-third the size of California, it has the world’s 27th largest population at more than 49 million people. Economically, Korea has the world’s 13th largest GDP and is the 6th leading trading partner with the United States.
Relationship with Clayton State University
Some of you may not be aware that Clayton State University has an on-going relationship with Korea. Through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed in March 2013 between the university and Daejeon Health Sciences University of Daejeon, South Korea, a framework was established for inter-institutional cooperation. This framework provided a nursing cohort from Daejeon the opportunity to attend Clayton State University for four weeks, with more university students applying for cross-institutional educational opportunities last fall.
U.S.-Korea Cooperation
Korea and the U.S. have a rich history of cooperation spanning back more than 60 years to before the Korean War. The Korean War is described by some as the forgotten war, as a war fought by young men and women who put their lives on the line without truly understanding what they fought for. During the war, fifteen foreign nations other than the United States and South Korea sent forces to serve in combat roles and five additional nations provided hospitals or ambulance units. From the United States alone, 54,000 men and women lost their lives defending the freedom of the Korean people. While it can certainly be said that these men and women fought for a land and people they didn’t know, they fought for a principal we all understand – freedom.
Were it not for the unwavering commitment of those brave men and women, Korea would be far different than it is today. Korea has not forgotten that it is due to their sacrifices that the Republic of Korea is a thriving democracy and major player in the global economy today.
The Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement
On March 15, 2014 we celebrated the second anniversary of the KORUS Free Trade Agreement. Considered the United States’ most meaningful trade deal since NAFTA, the KORUS FTA is the culmination of a decades-long dynamic partnership that underscores our two countries’ commitment to economic prosperity and the free flow of ideas, goods, and services.
Since the implementation of the KORUS FTA, both the U.S. and Korea have moved up in trading partner rankings. The U.S. has become the third top trading partner with Korea and Korea moved up to become the sixth top trading partner of the U.S.
The KORUS FTA has been providing countless new opportunities for U.S. exporters to sell more American goods, services, and agricultural products to Korean customers, and to support more well-paying jobs in the United States. Likewise, Korean companies are exporting more automobiles, consumer electronics, and household appliances to the United States than ever before.
In the two years since its implementation, we have already seen the FTA’s positive impact on goods and services that receive preferential treatment under the agreement. We call these goods and services “beneficiary items.” Both the U.S. exports to Korea and Korean exports to the U.S. have shown significant increases for the beneficiary items despite the global downturn over the last two years. From January to October 2013, U.S. export of beneficiary items to Korea increased by 6.2 percent and Korean exports to the U.S. increased 9.7 percent.
As more provisions of the trade agreement come into effect, Americans will see even more benefits for U.S. exporters. By January 1, 2016, Korean tariffs on over 95 percent of exports of U.S. industrial and consumer goods to Korea will be eliminated. The U.S. International Trade Commission estimates that when the agreement is fully implemented, tariff cuts alone will boost U.S. goods exports to Korea by $10 billion above where they would have been without the agreement. This increase will support more jobs here at home.
Visas for Korean Professionals
The Georgia General Assembly recently passed a joint resolution urging the U.S. Congress to increase the number of visas specifically permitting Korean professionals to work in the U.S. The free flow of professionals complements increased trade and bolsters foreign investment, which is why nearly all countries currently holding free trade agreements with the United States have acquired professional visa programs within their FTA or through separate legislation.
Canada and Mexico have an unlimited number of professional visas under NAFTA. Singapore, Chile, and Australia were all provided with a significant number of visas although their trade volumes with the U.S. are much smaller than Korea.
While it is commendable that the state of Georgia has recognized the benefits of increased professional visas, it is time for the federal government to see the advantages as well and to pass legislation which will provide them. In addition to Korean companies, many American businesses in the southeast region are eager to have greater access to highly skilled Korean professionals with the education and technical background necessary to capitalize on the momentum and opportunities presented by the KORUS FTA.
Georgia-Korea Economic Ties
The relationship between Korea and the state of Georgia is equally as rich and expansive. In addition to the educational exchanges we see at Clayton State University and cultural exchanges seen in communities throughout the state, economic ties between Korea and the state of Georgia are growing and expanding yearly.
The KIA plant located in West Point, Ga., has become the biggest job creator for the state of Georgia since before the 2008 financial crisis that had led to the shutdown of GM and Ford facilities. KIA now has 3,000 employees and $1 billion in investments. The company also attracted the establishment of 29 supply companies from Korea. These companies in turn created 7,000 additional jobs in the southeast. With 76 American companies in their supply chain, KIA’s total job creation is estimated at 30,000.
At this time, Georgia is home to approximately 51 Korean facilities, of which 24, or 47 percent, are manufacturing locations. Korea ranks second among Asian investors in Georgia with regards to the overall number of facilities, number of manufacturing facilities, and employment in the state.
Georgia companies, in turn, have also been heavily investing in Korea. There are at least 20 Georgia companies with operations in Korea. These include Delta Air Lines, Novelis Inc., the Coca-Cola Company, and UPS.
Georgia exports to Korea reached $806 million in 2013, more than double the total in 2006. Korea is the 9th largest export market for Georgia.
In 2013, Georgia’s imports from Korea totaled nearly $6.2 billion, making Korea the 3rd largest import market for Georgia. Top imports from Korea include vehicles, heavy machinery, plastics, and telecommunications equipment.
I’d like to take a moment to look at Korea’s relationships with neighboring countries in east Asia.
China-Korea Relations
The relationship between Korea and China spans thousands of years and has been strengthening in recent years. China is Korea’s biggest export market with trade between the countries totaling $230 billion last year. Korea is one of the few developed countries that has a trade surplus with China. The current free trade agreement talks can only help increase the economic ties between the countries.
Japan-Korea Relations
Korea’s relationship with Japan, however, has been under increased tension due in part because of the emotional nature of our tragic history. As I mentioned before, Korea was under Japanese colonization for 35 years. Colonization is perhaps the incorrect term as this period is better described as an occupation marked by decades of tragic episodes.
One particularly sensitive issue affecting the relationship between Korea and Japan is that of Comfort Women. The issue of comfort women dates to World War II when more than 200,000 Korean, Filipina, Chinese, and other Asian women were enlisted by the Japanese military at more than 400 “comfort stations” throughout Asia and the Pacific.
The history of the Japanese government’s apologies to comfort women has been irregular. In 1998, then Prime Minister Hashimoto issued a letter of apology to comfort women which was signed by other government officials. Current Prime Minister Abe ignited a fire storm of criticism during his first term as prime minister when he remarked in 2007 that comfort women were not coerced. In 2011, Japanese Prime Minister Noda replied to calls from South Korean President Myung-Bak Lee that Japan would recognize the issue of Comfort Women, but made a point of saying that legally the issue had been resolved with the signing of a treaty between the two countries in 1965. This treaty, however, does not address the issue of comfort women. During Abe’s current term as prime minister, he again invited criticism when it was reported that formal apologies issued in 1993 and 1995 were being reviewed and possibly revised.
Regretfully, the government of Japan under the leadership of current Prime Minister Abe announced a “review” of the Kono Statement of 1993. The Korean government has clearly and repeatedly warned that reviewing the Kono Statement while pledging to uphold it is in itself a contradictory and meaningless act. Since the announcement of the findings of the review, critical voices are heard not only from the Korean and the international press, but also from within Japan that the Abe government’s intention behind the review is to undermine the Kono statement.
Instead of fighting their own history, Japan should make formal, legal, and official reparations to the surviving women. Rather than denying the tragedy of what has been termed the largest case of human trafficking the Japanese government should take a cue from Germany’s approach to the Holocaust by taking an active role in erecting memorials to remember, because the rest of the world will not forget.
Ban Ki-moon/Kim Jim Yong
Finally, I would like to speak about the political, economic, and social impact Korea has been having on the international community. Within the political realm, Mr. Ban Ki-moon has become a leading world figure in his appointment as the Secretary-General of the United Nations. Mr. Kim Jim Yong was appointed head of the World Bank group in 2012.
Korean Music
In addition to these eminent personalities contemporary Korean music, known as K-pop, has become a defining aspect of modern Korean culture, gaining international recognition over the past decade. Its impact goes beyond the Asia Pacific region to unexpected books in parts of Europe, the Americas, and even the Middle East.
As I’m sure you know, the Korean singer Psy made impact worldwide with his song Gangnam Style in 2012. The group Girls’ Generation, for example, won “Video of the Year” at the inaugural YouTube Music Awards last year.
I would again like to thank Clayton State University for the opportunity to come here tonight to speak with you about my country and the growing relations between our two countries. Since the Korean War relations between our countries have grown economically, politically, and culturally. Perhaps the most important exchange, however, is the exchange or knowledge through business and education. Universities such as Clayton State University instill in their students not only a sense of the world, but also an understanding of how increased cooperation between people and diverse cultures can lend to the growth of all countries involved.
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