< Opening Remarks> 

It is a great pleasure to address the members of the Seoul Foreign Correspondents’ Club. 

I would like to express the deep respect I have for all of you who have made great efforts to convey the true colors of Korea to all corners of the world with speed and accuracy. I would also like to express sincere thanks to President Sohn Jie-Ae and the executives of the club.

< Status of the Republic of Korea and the role of Gyeonggi Province> 

Dear members of the Seoul Foreign Correspondents’ Club! 

This past January 12th, I accompanied a hi-tech investment-inducing delegation from Gyeonggi Province on a 10-day tour through five European nations. 

It was my eighth such overseas business inducement tour since I took office as governor of Gyeonggi Province. However, this tour was special in that it induced hi-tech know-how and industries from Europe. 

The fruits of that tour were 220 million dollars in investment MOUs, and 450 million dollars in investment deals. I am also confident that the tour will yield over 9 thousand new jobs for the province. 

Many people wonder why global corporations want to invest in Gyeonggi Province. Actually the answer to that question is simple: 

It is due to Korea’s position within the global economic network. 

Geographically, Korea has the advantage of being at the center of the Northeast Asian axis linking China and Japan. At the same time, Korea’s continued dynamic growth in IT and other hi-tech fields is a major attraction. 

In particular, Gyeonggi Province is the largest self-governing body in Korea and has global manufacturers such as Samsung, Hyundai and LG within its boundaries. The province is also home to outstanding human resources putting creative minds to hard work. 

The regional economy of Gyeonggi Province accounts for a quarter of Korea’s total GDP as well as 40% of the nation’s knowledge-based manufacturing industry. Gyeonggi Province is truly the heart of the Korean economy. 

From the day I took the office to this day, Gyeonggi Province has attracted over 12 billion dollars in foreign hi-tech businesses. The driving force behind such an accomplishment is the customer-oriented administration service – described as ‘swift, autonomous, and flexible’ – and the labor-management harmony. 

We have excavated cultural assets from frozen winter soil to shorten the preparation time for the Paju LCD industrial complex by a year and a half. ‘Land Swapping’ is a new phrase created as a byproduct when we sorted out site issues for Japan’s Sumitomo Corporation. When America’s Delphi was in need of an entry road, a whole team comprised of members from every related institution put their efforts into making a quick job of it. 

Labor leaders accompanied us during the course of foreign-investment inducement, and we were able to cast off the image of a strong labor movement and give faith to foreign corporations for stable labor-management relations. 

Now the FKTU has stated that it will actively participate in attracting investment. With such efforts, the labor-management relations of Gyeonggi Province are steadily becoming a model of social agreement in Korea. 

Esteemed club members! 

With continued investments by overseas hi-tech corporations into Gyeonggi Province, an IT-LCD cluster of global scale is being created that stretches from Paju to Suwon, and then to Pyeongtaek. 
This year, while continuing our efforts in the IT industry, we plan to devote ourselves to the attraction of a global R&D center in the bio- and nanotechnology fields. 

This will lead to the establishment of a bio and IT R&D cluster that will span the length of Pangyo-Bundang-Yongin-Suwon. Moreover, this will lead to the birth and fostering of a mega-cluster that extends to the Chungcheong region and includes automotive, IT, semiconductor, and LCD industries. This will further enable us to actively participate in the flow of a world economy that is becoming more and more globalized with each passing day. 

< Guiding North Korea to open up and globalize> 

Respected correspondents! 

This year is meaningful in that it marks the 100th anniversary of the Eulsa treaty and the 60th anniversary of Korea’s liberation. This year should finally be the year in which we prepare to heal the wounds suffered by the Korean people from our division and move towards a reunification that represents our true liberation. 

With the full-fledged operation of the Gaesung industrial complex and the completion of the Paju LG.Philips LCD complex in June, we will commence the creation of a large-scale South-North exchange & cooperation complex near Paju, and expand Jayuro and the logistics infrastructure as a whole. 

At the same time we will do our utmost to swiftly promote the ‘South-North Joint Farm Project’ that was suggested to the North during our New Year’s press conference. 

Gyeonggi Province shares a border with North Korea, and will devote every effort and investment possible for a regional government to support the opening and the globalization of North Korea. We will also steadfastly undertake what needs to be done as the advanced base of reunification. 

< A new hope for Korea in the 21st century: Cultural hub of Northeast Asia> 

Dear members of the SFCC! 

Last year, Korea went through difficult times politically, economically, and socially. However there was a ray of new hope. 

‘Hallyu Fever’ — or the ‘Korea Wave’ — first emerged at the end of the 1990s in the three northern provinces of China. It first spread to Southeast Asia, and then lead to last year’s Winter Sonata ‘Yonsama Fever’ in Japan. Before we knew it, Hallyu became a core cultural code in the East Asian region. 

Hallyu started with TV dramas and pop music and now is spreading to movies, games, even food and fashion, and all aspects of pop culture. The new image of Korea that accompanied such a cultural wave lead to increased purchases of Korean goods and a greater foreign tourist flow into Korea; so much so, in fact, that we had to redraw the map of Korean industries and tourism. 

Hallyu Fever has now established itself as pop culture among East Asian youngsters. This helped to ‘break the ice’ that had formed between Korea and China from the severance of exchanges during the cold war era. Furthermore, the phenomenon washed away scars of the Vietnam War lingering between Korea and Vietnam. It also eased uncomfortable sentiments between Korea and Taiwan stemming from severed diplomatic relations. 

On top of that, Hallyu Fever has unified the youngsters of two nations that were considered close but yet far apart – Korea and Japan. Hallyu is literally creating a miracle and accomplishing something that was not possible even with decades of diplomacy and thousands of diplomats. 

Esteemed journalists! 

It is believed that Hallyu has its foundations in the dynamic characteristics of the new generation of Korean culture, which in turn is based on oriental culture, and has superbly fused with Western culture. However it is also thought that Hallyu has yet to firmly take root. 

The achievements realized by Hallyu Fever so far have been thanks to the spontaneous efforts of our pop culture community. The current spread of Hallyu is focused on a select few entertainers, and we cannot ignore the fact that it might end up as a one-time bubble if it lacks systemic effort and support. 

In order for Hallyu to continue its growth and development as a Northeast Asian Wave, and then as a Global Wave, there is a need for more systematic, long-term support and measures at a governmental level. 

As one such measure, we plan to create a “Hallyuwood” that will span 300 thousand pyeong in Ilsan New Town, Goyang City, in an effort to gather together the pop culture and tourism clusters scattered around Gyeonggi Province in a Hallyu hub. 

Geographically, Hallyuwood will have as close neighbors two international airports, Asia’s biggest international exposition center – KINTEX – to be opened this April, and the soon-to-be-opened Chinatown. Hallyuwood will also be located at the core of a culture, tourism, and industrial cluster in the northern part of the Metropolitan region that links TV stations, Paju Publishing Town, Heyri Art Village, the LG.Phillps LCD complex, and the DMZ. 

A variety of facilities will harmoniously coexist in Hallyuwood. Facilities to experience and feel Hallyu, such as Hallyu Star Boulevard, Star Village, Hallyu Game World, and various performance halls. There will be functional facilities to develop cultural content, such as venture towers for entertainment-planning corporations, TV drama-shooting locations, and a Hallyu academy. There will also be tourism and leisure facilities, such as hotels, theme parks, restaurant streets, and fashion streets. These facilities will be a part of a cultural space operated by a perfect program. 

The venue we create shall be a cradle in which representatives of our pop culture can mix and freely display their talents with people from cultures and nations around the world, thereby developing as future stars. At the same time, it will be a venue for festivities through which people from around the world can come and experience new culture. 

Hallyuwood shall attract Chinese and Japanese culture as well as Southeast Asian culture to form an East Asian culture street. This will lead to mutual exchanges and the fusion of pop cultures from individual countries, and ultimately create an East Asian culture that will hold its own against a Western culture that is championed by Hollywood. 

When I was young, I was fascinated by the theatre, and spent time as an actor. As an ordinary person, I am looking forward to the creation of a new concept of East Asian culture, which will be a combination of the new generation of dynamic Korean pop culture and world-leading IT technology. 

However, for the swift development and innovative management of Hallyuwood, Gyeonggi Province will stop at setting up the physical infrastructure such as roads, water supply and drainage. The job of creating and managing various facilities shall be left to a consortium created by the private sector. The main body of the project will be ready early this year based on a substantial master plan. 

Hallyuwood is a new conceptual version of the Goyang Tourism Culture Complex development theme that Gyeonggi Province has been propelling since last year. We plan to invest a total of 2 trillion won for working expenses by 2008. In 2008, I hope that we will see the East Asian Culture Olympics being held in Hallyuwood in conjunction with the 2008 Beijing Olympics. 

< Closing remarks> 

Respected club members! 

Only half a century ago, Korea lay in the ruins of war. It has since turned itself into an industrial powerhouse of East Asia and a world IT powerhouse. Now, in the 21st century, we must take the next step to become a cultural powerhouse, the new paradigm of national development. Gyeonggi Province shall be at the vanguard of this venture. 

To all foreign correspondents, I ask for your continued interest and support for Korea and Gyeonggi Province. 

Thank you very much for your time, ladies and gentlemen.