Statement to the Nation
President Park Geun-hye criticized both the National Assembly and North Korea in a statement to the nation which was held in the press center of the Blue House, called Chunchugwan, on Jan. 13.
President Park said, “North Korea conducted a surprise 4th nuclear experiment in the new year, but even in a provisional session of the National Assembly electoral districts have not been decided.” Also she pointed out, “Core bills for national economy and security have not yet been passed. Security and economy are the main axes of supporting the nation, but those face crises now.”
President Park mentioned the nuclear experiment of North Korea and said, “It is a serious threat for the survival and future of this country. It is a challenge that can affect the geopolitical security of the Northeast Asian region as well as the Korean Peninsula.”
“International communities should treat this issue differently than before,” she said, calling for the strongest sanctions against North Korea. Especially related to loudspeaker broadcasts to North Korea, she said, “It is the most intensive and effective measure of psychological warfare against North Korea.”
She mentioned both the U.S. and China and highlighted her desire for sanctions against North Korea. She said, “We are closely cooperating with allies to make effective sanctions against North Korea. We will make all efforts to pass a resolution for sanctioning North Korea internationally so that it will bring changes to North Korea’s attitude.”
President Park also said that “China’s role is quite crucial. China has declared a desire of a non-nuclear North Korea. If it cannot be realized by forcing sanctions against North Korea, Korea's real peace and stability are not guaranteed, and additional nuclear tests can’t be prohibited. It is the best partner who holds hands whenever the other party is having a hard time.” And shd added, “I believe that China will play a crucial role as a permanent member of the UN Security Council.”
President Park also pushed the National Assembly of Korea to pass the Counter Terrorism Prevention Act. She said that international terror groups like ISIS can always attack Korean people, so the Assembly should pass the act soon. Among the OECD and G20 nations, only four countries, including Korea, do not have the Counter Terrorism Prevention Act, she noted. She also emphasized that the act is required to cooperate with other nations.
She said that in 2015, she wanted to give hope to young people by drawing a conclusion to the Three-way Deal, but because of the National Assembly's political strife, all bills related to that comprise are now pending. She urged the National Assembly to pass the bills quickly.