*EPF510 06/30/00
Text: Representative Gilman Lauds South Korean President Kim
(Praises Kim Dae-jung's efforts at peace with North Korea) (470)
Representative Benjamin Gilman (Republican of New York) praised the efforts of South Korean President Kim Dae-jung to bring peace to the Korean Peninsula in a June 28 extension of remarks in the House of Representatives.
Gilman, the chairman of the House International Relations Committee, said he was "pleased and encouraged" by the apparent success of the meeting between Kim Dae-jung and his North Korean counterpart, and urged them "to remain committed to this historic process that they have initiated."
Following is the text of Gilman's remarks:
(begin text)
THE HISTORIC SUMMIT OF THE TWO KOREAS
HON. BENJAMIN A. GILMAN
(Extension of Remarks)
June 29, 2000
HON. BENJAMIN A. GILMAN
in the House of Representatives
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 28, 2000
Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, today I congratulate South Korean President Kim Dae-jung in the aftermath of the historic summit. This is an historic moment and holds a glimmer of promise for the Korean people and for peace and stability in Northeast Asia. This is a watershed event in the history of Korea and will hopefully lead to a significant reduction in tensions on the peninsula.
According to media coverage, the summit has already produced potentially significant results. The two leaders reportedly have reached an understanding in the following four areas:
Social and economic cooperation, including South Korean investment in North Korea;
The easing tensions between the two Koreas;
Steps toward the reunification of families; and
The eventual reunification of the peninsula.
I look forward, as we all should, to viewing the details that accompany these understandings with real hope that the two Koreas are on a path toward true and lasting peace. While this summit is only a first step, I am pleased and encouraged by its apparent success. I urge the leaders of North and South Korea to remain committed to this historic process that they have initiated.
Finally, Mr. Speaker, let me close by quoting from President Kim's airport speech in Seoul. Before he boarded the plane for Pyongyang, he said:
"I want to embark on the trip with a heart burning with love for our people
and a calm attitude so that I can look straight at reality. I hope that it
will be a turning point in efforts to remove threats to war and terminate
the Cold War . . . so that 70 million Korean people in the north and south
can live in peace."
Mr. Speaker, we hope that President Kim is correct and I invite my colleagues to join in wishing him success in this important endeavor.
(end text)
(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
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