< Table of Contents > ● Korean, EU leaders discuss strengthened cooperation (11.8) ● President Park, Belgian PM discuss cooperation at summit (11.7) ● President Park meets scientists, business leaders in Belgium (11.7)

● Korean, EU leaders discuss strengthened cooperation

President Park Geun-hye held a summit with President of the European Council Herman Van Rompuy and President of the European Commission José Manuel Barroso at European Union (EU) headquarters in Brussels on November 8.

They had in-depth discussions on extending cooperation across a wide range of areas, including politics, security, the economy, trade, science and technology. The leaders also discussed cooperation on regional and global issues, such as those surrounding the Korean Peninsula, peace-keeping activities and cybersecurity.

“The EU will continue to lead the world as it puts a priority on the quality of life for the people rather than on an accumulation of wealth, on community rather than on individual freedom and on sustainable growth rather than on infinite growth. Korea has much in common in this regard,” said President Park, quoting from a book she read about the EU.

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● President Park, Belgian PM discuss cooperation at summit

President Park Geun-hye held summit talks with Belgian Prime Minister Elio Di Rupo after her arrival in Brussels, Belgium, on November 7. The two leaders exchanged opinions on enhancing Korea-Belgium cooperation across a wide range of areas and both regional and global issues involving the Korean Peninsula and Europe. They also had in-depth discussions on Belgium’s experience and role in forming the regional community.

President Park called Belgium one of Korea’s precious allies, as the country dispatched one of the first battalions to the Korean War (1950-1953) even though it did not have a standing army at the time. The president said Belgium had the wisdom to propose the establishment of a regional community and lead European integration, squeezed between its stronger neighbors. The president said that such wisdom serves as a great source of inspiration for Korea as it pursues its Korean Peninsula trust-building process and Northeast Asia peace initiative.

In her reciprocal speech, President Park expressed her thanks to the queen for inviting her to make a state visit to Britain and said her visit holds significance since this year marks the 130th anniversary of the establishment of Korea-U.K. diplomatic relations and the 60th anniversary of the armistice of the Korean War. The president highly valued the pivotal role of the British royal family which has shown its great responsibility for the country. The president said the U.K. is one of Korea’s true allies, as the country dispatched 56,000 soldiers to protect the freedom of Korea 60 years ago and became the first country to send a group of investors to Korea 15 years ago in the midst of the Asian financial crisis. This support has contributed greatly to Korea’s transformation into the world’s eighth largest trading economy with a dynamic democracy, said the president.

President Park emphasized that bilateral cooperation should be extended based on the trust and friendship of both countries. She also expressed her hope that Korea’s creative economy policy and the UK’s experience in leading many creative industries with its tradition and long history can be combined to create new engines of growth. Quoting William Shakespeare, “It is not in the stars to hold our destiny but in ourselves,” the president expressed her hope that the two countries could have a more prosperous, happier future by combining their creative talents and experience based on the 130-year-long friendship and trust of both nations.



Despite the many difficulties Korea and Belgium underwent due to their geopolitical locations, both have successfully transformed such challenges into strengths and have become leading economies in the world, said President Park.

The president went on to say that such similarities will help the two countries cooperate to create synergies. She expressed her hope that the Korea-Belgium summit will offer an opportunity to deepen their cooperation not only at the bilateral and regional level but also on the global stage.

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● President Park meets scientists, business leaders in Belgium

President Park Geun-hye met with scientists and venture business entrepreneurs in Brussels, Belgium, on November 7.

The meeting was organized to hear the views of local experts on the potential to develop the creative industries through the use of basic sciences and technological innovation. A total of 15 participants attended the meeting, including President Helga Nowotny of the European Research Council (ERC), Professor Richard Timothy Hunt of Cambridge University who won the 2011 Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine, CEO Wim De Waele of iMinds, a company that specializes in interdisciplinary research and software development, and Professor Joo Cheol-min from the Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands.



At the meeting, President Park gave her definition of the creative economy. She said it is Korea’s vision to create new markets and jobs by integrating different industries and different cultures. This vision can be achieved by combining scientific technologies and information and communications technology (ICT), she said.

The president predicts a blossoming of scientific and technological exchanges between Korea and European nations, all to benefit the creative industries. She explained that the two sides have a lot to share. Europe is advanced in basic sciences and has world-class capabilities in that sector while Korea has been successful in ICT and the commercialization of technologies.

During the meeting, participants shared their experiences in and information about the research environment, the support system for researchers and support programs for business start-ups in Europe. They shared their views on new industries that could possibly be created on the basis of scientific technologies and technological innovation.

Nowotny of the ERC shared with participants some of her institute’s research results. Based solely on their scientific merits, research conducted at the ERC has led to eight Nobel Prizes and three Fields Medals, a mathematics award. Nowotny stressed the need to integrate scientific technologies, the humanities and social sciences to create the most widespread utilization of research results.

De Waele of iMinds agreed. Creativity is more important than technology, he said, since the value-added industries have recently been shifting their focus from hardware to software and content.

Marking President Park’s visit to Brussels, a new Korea-EU Research & Innovation Center was launched on November 8. It will help Korean and European experts cooperate in sharing R&D and in building networks. It will also support small- and medium-sized Korean firms and venture businesses as they enter EU markets.





*Source: http://www.korea.net

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