Tel: (04) 473-9073, Address: L11 ASB Bank Tower, 2 Hunter St, Wellington Email: researcher@koreanembassy.org.nz, www.koreanembassy.org.nz
KOREAN EMBASSY NEWSLETTER
2 December 2011
AMBASSADOR PRESENTS ‘AMBASSADOR FOR PEACE’ MEDALS TO VETERANS
Ambassador Park presented
‘Ambassador for Peace’ medals to Korean War veterans in Wellington on 27 November
On 27 November, Ambassador Mr Yongkyu Park attended the end of year lucheon for the Wellington branch of the New Zealand Korean War Veterans’
Association (NZKVA). It was hosted by Mr Des Vinten, President of Wellington Branch NZKVA, and was attended by 30 Korean War veterans and their spouses.
During the luncheon, Ambassador Park presented ‘Ambassador for Peace’
medals and certificates to five Korean War veterans. Ambassador Park also
expressed his best wishes for their good health and happy new year to all
participants.
[Left]: Ambassador presenting
‘Ambassador for Peace’ medal to a Korean War veteran,
[Below]: NZKVA members also gathered in Christchurch on 27 November and this luncheon was attended by Consul Mr Suk-dong Woo from the Korean Embassy
The medals and certificates were awarded by Korean Minister of Patriots and Veterans Affairs Mr Sung Choon Park and General (Ret.) of the ROK Army Mr Se Hwan Park, to recognise the dedicated contributions and services of those who fought for freedom and democracy of Korea.
On the same day, about 50 NZKVA members also gathered in Christchurch over a luncheon. This event was attended by Consul Mr Suk-dong Woo from the Korean Embassy and the luncheon programme included a Korean cultural performance.
The Korean veterans from both Wellington and Christchurch branches expressed
their appreciation to the Korean Embassy for the Korean Government’s continued
support and friendship for the veterans.
Ambassador Park listening to Korean business leaders’
opinions on promoting the birateral trade and economic ties between Korea and New
Zealand, at James Cook Hotel in Wellington on 25 November
Representatives of Korean companies operating in New Zealand gathered in Wellington on 25 November, to attend the bi-annual Korean Business Representatives’ Meeting hosted by the Korean Embassy. Directors and managers of 15 Korean companies participated the meeting.
The meeting started with briefings on the current state of economic and trade ties between Korea and New Zealand given by First Secretary of the Korean Embassy Mr Kyongsig Park and Trade Commissioner of the Korea Trade Organisation in Auckland Mr Soo-young Jang. They also discussed prospects for the Korea-New Zealand FTA, economic outlook of New Zealand after the general election on 26 November and the Korean companies’ future plans and strategies for promoting their businesses in New Zealand.
Ambassador Park encouraged the Korean business leaders to double their efforts to further expand their businesses with New Zealand in such areas as trade, investment, energy & resource development, and participating in New Zealand’s infrastructure projects etc. Ambassador Park also asked them to participate actively in various occassions for ‘Korea-New Zealand Year of Friendship’ as the two countries celebrate the 50th anniversary of the diplomatic relations in 2012.
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KOREAN BUSINESS REPRESENTATIVES’ MEETING HELD IN WELLINGTON
In his welcoming remarks, President Lee spoke of the vital role of developing countries in development cooperation in the era of globalisation and the history of Korea’s economic development and democratization. He also shared his views on how international development cooperation can be reshaped for a better future.
Some 3000 delegates reviewed global progress in improving the impact and value for money of development aid and adopted the Busan Partnership for Effective Development Cooperation. The declaration establishes, for the first time, an agreed framework for development cooperation that embraces traditional donors, South-South cooperators, the BRICs, CSOs and private funders. It marks a turning point for international development cooperation.
The partnership was agreed after extended negotiations,18 sherpas were elected to represent a wide group of stakeholders. The process was guided by the Working Party on Aid Effectiveness (WP-EFF), which brings together representatives of over 80 countries and organizations.
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4TH HIGH LEVEL FORUM ON AID EFFECTIVENESS HELD IN BUSAN
The High Level Forum (HLF4) on Aid Effectiveness took place between 29 November and 1 December in Busan, Korea.
Ministers from across the globe, from both developing and donor countries, government representatives, parliamentarians, civil society organisations and private sector representatives came together for the Forum held at the Bexco convention centre in Busan.
President Lee Myung-bak welcomes the international guests at the opening of the High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness held in Busan on 29 November.
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KOREA IN FOCUS
Fifty years ago, the scene in Busan, South Korea, would have been a familiar image of international aid: sacks of grain stacked precariously on a crumbling dockside. The backdrop would have been a country emerging from war and dependent on outside assistance to meet the most basic needs. But when national and development leaders gather in Busan this week to discuss the future of aid, they will see a very different place: the fifth-busiest commercial port in the world, transporting advanced technologies around the globe. This, writ small, is the Korean miracle — the transformation of a country from aid-dependent to aid donor.
The international goal must be to make sure many more countries are transformed. This will require building on the success of aid, broadening our thinking beyond aid to strengthen states and markets, and developing a new set of global relationships to tackle global issues.
Each challenge is, of course, hard in itself — but they are also clear and achievable. I believe that within a generation no country need be dependent on aid. This matters around the world but especially to Africa, the continent most dependent on aid and a focus of my own work.
Things are already moving in the right direction. While the West has experienced a decade of sluggish growth, emerging economies have taken up the slack — 19 economies, including eight in sub-Saharan Africa, more than doubled in size from 2000 to 2010.
Meanwhile, health and education are improving. In just one example, 10 times more people were receiving treatment for HIV-AIDS from 2003 to 2008 than was the case a decade earlier.
And while the Arab Spring has rightly received the world’s attention, the steady political change south of the Sahara could be as significant in the long term. In the 1980s there were three truly free elections in sub-Saharan Africa. In the past decade there were 25. A new generation of democratically elected leaders is emerging, eager to take their countries forward.
Aid has played a significant role in this progress, particularly the improvements in health and education through the Millennium Development Goals. The first challenge is for the richer countries to deliver on their aid commitments. Bill Gates estimates that meeting existing aid promises would generate an extra $80 billion a year for development. That translates into millions of lives saved and children educated.
“Ending Global Aid in a Generation”
By Tony Blair
[Source: Washington Post, 26 November 2011]
But aid alone is not enough. Ultimately, development progress depends on governance and growth. All societies, no matter how wealthy, need governments that can deliver tangible improvements in the lives of their citizens and be held to account for the results. They need economies that generate wealth and improved living standards for all. This requires a new approach.
To strengthen governance, we should help governments to develop the capacity they need to deliver for their citizens. This issue of governance, how to get things done, is the focused on this issue through the Africa Governance Initiative, which works alongside political leaders to help them reform and build their systems so they can implement development plans and tackle poverty.
Supporting economic growth requires action on all sides. Leaders of emerging economies must ensure that they are able to attract high-quality, sustainable investment; that the rules are clear and followed; and that they work together to remove regional trade barriers. But the rich world has a role in opening up its markets and ensuring that global trade rules are fair.
This theme of shared responsibilities brings me to the third challenge — building a new fundamentally rethink the way rich and poor countries interact and begin moving from thinking in terms of rich countries helping poor countries to an understanding of how everyone can contribute to shared goals. The world has changed; the emergence of China and India as economic powerhouses makes the old distinctions increasingly irrelevant. And the big issues today need global action. Security is one issue that no country, rich or poor, can tackle alone. Others include climate change and how we manage scarce resources such as water or oil. And we all share a common interest in development, and we need to build international systems that can handle them.
In recent years, I have visited the West African ports of Freetown, Sierra Leone, and decade, and their destruction symbolized what was broken in their societies. But as they beacons of progress, openness to the wider world and self-determination. If the international community acts boldly at this week’s meeting in South Korea to set out a new plan for development, the port of Busan can itself become a symbol of where Freetown and Monrovia are heading.
The writer founded the Africa Governance Initiative. He was prime minister of Britain from 1997 to 2007.
ENGLISH TEACHER POSITIONS AVAILABLE IN KOREA !
Have you ever wanted to teach English in Korea and experience the culture? The Korean Government is offering two kinds of English teaching positions in Korea; English Programme in Korea (EPIK) and Teach and Learn in Korea (TaLK). Please check your eligibility to apply for the programme today!
(1) English Programme in Korea (EPIK)
EPIK is a programme offered by the Korean Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, which invites English speakers to gain teaching experience while sharing knowledge and culture with students and teachers of primary and secondary public schools in Korea.
(ELIGIBILITY): Applicants must be under 55 years old and have completed a bachelor's degree in any discipline, be a NZ citizen, and be fluent & proficient in the English language
(BENEFITS): Monthly salary (1.8~3 million KRW = approx. NZ$2,000~3,400 depends on experience and education), free single furnished housing (utilities not included), entrance allowance (1.3 million Korean Won) & settlement allowance (300,000 Korean Won), exit allowance (1.3 million Korean Won), severance pay (about 1 month's salary), paid vacation for 18 working days
For more information about EPIK programme or download the application form, please visit EPIK website (www.epik.go.kr).
(2) Teach and Learn in Korea (TaLK)
TaLK is a Korean government scholarship programme that strenghthens public English education in rural areas of Korea. Over the past 3 years, about 2,000 individuals have been awarded the TaLK scholarship for teaching English to Korea's rural primary school students.
(ELIGIBILITY): (1) Nationality: NZ citizen, or Korean nationals with NZ permanent residency, or Korean nationals with temporary NZ residency who have resided for at least eight years and have completed primary and secondary education in NZ, (2) Education: Bachelor's degree candidates who have completed at least two years of undergraduate study, or associate's degree recipients, Recent four-year college graduates and graduate students, or overseas Koreans in their 1st or 2nd year of undergraduate study if they quality for the F4 visa
(BENEFITS): Round-trip air ticket, Accommodation, health insurance, one-month training to develop teaching skills, vacation leave, opportunities for cultural experiences, government scholarship certificate, KRW 1,500,000 (approx. NZ$1,700) monthly stipend, KRW 300,000 one-time settlement allowance
