JoongAng Ilbo-CSIS Forum Welcoming Remarks
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The Next 70 Years of Peace in Asia
I am honored and pleased to welcome you all to the 5th JoongAng Ilbo-CSIS conference. At the outset, please let me thank Dr. Hong Seok-hyun and his very impressive colleagues for all their help in organizing this conference. It is a genuine partnership.
This conference is the product of Dr. Hong directly. Throughout his life, he has championed a smarter, more creative bilateral policy between Korea and America. He has done this in every one of his professional activities--as a leader here in Korea in civil society, as a successful businessman, as an Ambassador for Korea to the United States, and most happily for me, as a trustee of CSIS. In all these roles, Dr. Hong has championed a smart, thoughtful and constructive foreign policy for Korea and increasingly close ties to the United States. I am deeply grateful.
The topic for our conference this year is looking forward to the next 70 years. I think this is a very good topic. Let me offer my forecast for the next 70 years.