President Park Geun-hye flew back to Korea on September 26 after finishing her state visit to Canada and her high-ranking meetings at the U.N. in New York.
President Park Geun-hye and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper officially signed a free trade agreement (FTA) between Korea and Canada, and in doing so upgraded the bilateral relationship to a “strategic partnership,” from the prior “special partnership.” The two leaders agreed to make an effort so that the effects of the FTA could stretch to cover not only trade and investment, but also others sectors of the economy, including technological cooperation, people-to-people exchanges, economic cooperation in the private sector, and overall bilateral economic cooperation, all of which will be able to be brought up a notch.
In regard to the Korea-Canada summit, the AFP wire service said, “It is the first free-trade agreement Canada has signed with an Asian country.” In an article titled, “Canada, S. Korea sign long-sought free trade deal,” the AFP said, “The FTA will see the two countries remove tariffs on more than 97 per cent of products within 10 years.”
Canadian media outlets positively valued the Korea-Canada summit and the signing of the FTA. The Telegram said that the FTA is, "the first major trade deal in the Asia Pacific,” and that it, “is also seen by many as a major stepping stone for Canada`s trade ambitions in the region.” In an article titled, “South Korean trade deal a key foothold in Asia, Stephen Harper says,” on September 22, the Star also highly-valued the newly inked Korea-Canada FTA.
At the 69th U.N. General Assembly, President Park emphasized that the U.N. should go back to where it began, with its human-centered goals and focus on international cooperation. It should play a central role in effectively responding to new, simultaneous threats and challenges in the quest for world peace, human rights, development, education and an improved natural environment.
In regard to her keynote speech at the U.N. General Assembly, international media outlets focused on Park’s emphasis on the unification of the Korean Peninsula and on resolving the North Korean human rights issues. The AFP said in its article, “S.Korea leader urges world to `tear down` Cold war frontier,” on September 25 it said that Park made a note of the Berlin Wall anniversary that is coming up in November.
In the article, “South Korea`s president calls for end to division,“ on Semester 25, the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung of Germany reported that Park urged that the wall of division between the north and south be removed, which reminded the author of former U.S. President Ronald Reagan, who called out in 1987 to, “Tear down this wall.”
The Europa Press of Spain noted Park’s remarks about North Korean human rights issues, in its September 25 article titled, “Park urges North Korea to improve its `abysmal record` of human rights and to end its nuclear programs.”
In all, Park’s state visit to Canada paved the way for widening Korea’s economic and diplomatic reach in North American markets through the Korea-Canada FTA. Her presence at the U.N., where she attended many high-level meetings, holds great significance as she has now become the first Korean head of state to attend a U.N. General Assembly meeting.
By Yoon Sojung
Korea.net Staff Writer
Photos: Cheong Wa Dae
arete@korea.kr
