Roh Moo-hyun Sworn in as S. Korea's New President

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Tuesday, February 25, 2003

Roh Moo-hyun Sworn in as S. Korea's New President

Roh Moo-hyun took office as South Korea's new president at a presidential inauguration ceremony held Tuesday Morning.

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Roh Moo-hyun Sworn in as S. Korea's New President

Roh Moo-hyun took office as South Korea's new president at a presidential inauguration ceremony held Tuesday Morning.

Roh was sworn in before some 45,000 domestic and foreign guestsin front of the National Assembly.

Roh, who replaces outgoing president Kim Dae-Jung, took the oath of office at a ceremony outside South Korea's National Assembly building in western Seoul.

"I swear to my people solemnly that I will defend my country, abide by the constitution of my country, and devote myself to the realization of reunification of the Korean Peninsula... I will dutifully to fulfill the president's commitment to my people."

Roh Moo-Hyun, a former human rights lawyer, won the last December's presidential election representing the Millennium Democratic Party (MDP).

Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, Chinese Vice Prime Minister Qian Qichen, US Secretary of States Colin Powell, Speaker of the Federation Council of Russia's Federal Assembly Sergei Mironov and former South Korean president Kim Dae-jung were among those present at the ceremony.

Principles for Inter-Korean Ties

The South Korea's new President announced principles of his inter-Korean policy labeled as for the "peace and prosperity" on the Korean Peninsula in his inaugural speech.

Roh said he would base the relations between South Korea and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on these principles to seek a peaceful solution to all the pending inter-Korean issues through dialogue.

The principles include building mutual trust and seeking active international cooperation on the inter-Korean issue.

During his 30-minute inaugural speech, Roh reviewed the accomplishment the last government has achieved on the inter-Korean issue, and pledged to continue former President Kim Dae-jung's policy towards the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).

The new South Korean president reiterated his stance on the DPRK nuclear issue, saying the suspicion that the DPRK "is developing nuclear weapons poses a grave threat to the world peace,not to mention the Korean Peninsula and Northeast Asia ...Pyongyang must abandon its nuclear program, thus the international community will offer many things that it wants," including international economic support.

However, he stressed again that the nuclear standoff should be resolved peacefully through dialogue, adding "military tension in any form should not be heightened."

"We will also maintain close cooperation and coordination with the United States, Japan as well as China, Russia and the European Union," he added.

The inter-Korean ties and nuclear issue are believed to be main challenges Roh will face in his five-year term.

Roh Moo-Hyun outlines S.Korea's development goals

Roh Moo-hyun vowed to develop the country into an international logistics and financial hub in Northeast Asia as one of his government 's goals.

Roh Moo-hyun said his government would try to make the country to be an international logistics and financial hub in the region for it has "well-educated people", "advanced facilities", "super-speed railway systems" and "state-of-the-art information infrastructure."

He said his government would make South Korea a favorable placeto attract foreign investment and reform the markets and systems in a fair and transparent manner based on international standards.

The new president also vowed to ease irregularity and corruption in the political and economic fields, thus to ensure the South Korean economy and society grow healthily.

Before Roh took office as the country's president, he underscored several times to slash the privilege of South Korean plutocrats and to give more rights to employees.

To decentralize the power to the provinces and to seek a balanced national development are the tasks that could not be put off any longer, said Roh.

He called on the South koreans to devote themselves to the development of the country.

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