우리 대한민국은 1948년 8월 15일 자유민주주의 법치국가로 건국 된 이래 6.25 동란을 위시하여 수많은 정변을 극복하며 살아왔음이 사실이다. 너무 가난하여 세계에서 두 번째 최빈국 소릴 들으며 국민모두가 강한 영도자를 주축으로 국가발전의 길로 매진한 결과 그간의 역경들을 모두 국가번영으로 탈바꿈시키고 오늘날의 괄목할만한 성장을 이뤄냈으며 크게 자랑스럽게 여겨오고 있는 것이다.

그런데 매우 안타깝게도 우리는 이번에 또다시 예기치 않은 국가적 난관에 봉착하게 되었다. 이 어려운 시점에서 우리국민 모두가 가장 염려스럽게 생각하는 것은 국내혼란기 더구나 미국정부이양 과도기에 맞물려 북한이 저지를 수 있는 오판에 의한 무력도발가능성이다. 최근 보도에 의하면 북한의 김정은은 특수부대를 동원하여 대한민국의 청와대를 목표로 하는 특공훈련을 했다 한다. 이러한 일련의 조짐들이 국민들로 하여금 더한층 불안감을 조성하게 하고 있는 것이다.

      The ROK will stand firm for all time no matter what the situation may be 

News on the ROK’s National Assembly that voted in favor of impeaching President Park Geun-hye has recently hit the headlines in the mass media both at home and abroad. Due to the subject of corruption allegations triggered by a confidante of President Park who lacks a security clearance and who had allegedly meddled in state affairs, hundreds of thousands of angry citizens have held candlelight vigils at the Gwanghwamun Plaza in Seoul for more than a month. The stern rallies have finally led to the impeachment of the President Park Geun-Hye.  

On December 9, 2016 formal documents of the impeachment were delivered to the presidential office (Blue House). Upon deliberation of the documents to the President and the Constitutional Court, the President’s power was immediately suspended and the Prime Minster Hwang Kyo-ahn became the acting president until the Constitutional Court decides whether President Park should be permanently removed or reseated within a maximum of 180 days from now. 

As a matter of fact, we South Korea have overcome numerous political upheavals and adversities including the Korean War since our free, democratic nation was founded on August 15, 1948. We were then considered the second poorest country in the world, but everyone has spared no effort in building his/her nation under strong leadership. As a result, we Koreans were able to transform all the adversities into national prosperity, and that has become the outstanding achievement of today that all our fellow countrymen have been very proud of. 

In the meantime, very regrettably and unexpectedly, we have encountered a national crisis again. What is the most important concern for Koreans at this juncture is the North Korean regime’s armed provocation in the confusion of interregnum that coincides with a transition period of the US Presidency. The recent reports that NK leader Kim Jong-un conducted a large scale military exercise aiming at ROK’s presidential office, the Blue House are causing an air of anxiety in South Korea. 

Nevertheless, we, however, trust that ROK-US joint combat readiness firmly maintained for decades will surely deter any of NK’s reckless miscalculations so that our country will stand firm tirelessly and unwaveringly under any circumstances and back on normal track as quickly as possible. But in order to be so, it is a desperate mission for all of us to get united together into one with no ideological confrontation. Otherwise, we might lose all that we have achieved for decades. 

May God bless ROK.