PM Transcripts

TEL:
PRIME MINISTER
TRANSCRIPT OF PRIME MINISTER'S REMARKS FOLLOWING VISIT TO THE
DEMILITARISED ZONE, KOREA, 23 JUNE 1993
E& OE PROOF COPY
PMV: Well, I thilnk on this visit I have had the opportunity of developing a very good
relationship, I think, with the President. Kim Young-Sam. and given the fact that
It is the boginning of his five years in office this, for Australia, I think is a good
thing. That is, that we have struck up what I think Is a warm personal
relationship which I hope will endure now In our countries terms at least for the
tenure of his Presidency. The other matter which I think we have succeeded In
getting across Is the fact that Australia shouldn't be viewed simply as a
producer of raw materials. That it is a producer of sophisticated products; that
we have a deep research and development base and I think this is being
understood in Korea. That people here know now that even though we supply
them with Iron ore and coking coal, we are also a supplier of high technology
goods manufactured goods and that we can do much In joint ventures with
them, as well as supply them. And finaliy, I think that we have been able to
develop a further consensus of view about the importance of APEC and
pushing the APEC agenda along so that at the November meeting In the United
States we can make positive headway in APEC's trade liberailsing role.
Weli, my impression of the demilitarised zone Is, I think, the obvious one, and
that is that thirty million people have lived behind it for forty years, for forty years
a very large population has had, really, no joy and none of the fruits of growth
and prosperity w~ ich the rest of the world has had, So thats a first dismal
effect and observation I would make about it, The other Is that it just highlights
just how successful the Korean Government, the Government of South Korea
has been the Republic of Korea In developing a modern economy with this
threat almost at its border, within an hour from Its capital city, within an hour
from Seoul. And the tension which the country has lived under has been quite
profound. So one hopes that with the effluxion of time Korea will be a reunited
country and we will not see people living under this threat or thirty million
people living in the relative poverty which they do in North Korea.
ends T2EL3: . Jun. 93 9: 45 No. 004 P. 01/ 01