tothecreationofjobsandeconomicopportunityforAmericansandKoreans

byeliminatingbarrierstotheflowofgoods,services,investment,andintellectualproperty.

Itisa"win"forbothourcountries,whichwillhavegreateraccesstoeachother’smarkets,

whichwillinturnmeanmorejobsonbothsidesofthePacific.

Itisalsoamodelforthekindoftradeagreementsweneedinthe21stcentury

withstrongprotectionsforworkersandtheenvironment.

Theagreementwillalsodeepentheclosetiesbetweenourtwocountries,

andcreateanenduringeconomicpillartoourbilateralpartnership.

4.DoyouhaveanyadvicetotheKoreanNationalAssemblywhichhasyettopasstheFTAbill?

Asaforeignleader,itwouldnotbeappropriateformetogiveadvice

totheKoreaNationalAssembly,whichmustmakeitsowndecisions

basedonSouthKorea’snationalinterest.

Iwouldsimplysaythattherehasbeenstrongbipartisansupportfor

thisagreementintheU.S.Congress,andIhopeourfriendsinKorea’sNationalAssembly

willunderstandthatisasignofAmericancommitmenttothisagreementandtoouralliance.

5.TheadditionalopeningofthebeefmarkethasalwaysbeenasensitiveissueinKorea.

SomepeopleinKoreapredictthatoncetheFTAisimplemented,theU.S.

willpressfortheentireopeningofthebeefmarket.Whatisyourthoughtonthis?

Asforbeef,welookforwardtoworkingwiththeKoreanGovernment

tocontinuetoimplementouragreement,again,inamannerthatisa"win"forbothourcountries.

6.Youhavementionedmanytimesthat,justlikemanyAmericansdriveHyundaiandKia,

you’dliketoseemoreAmericanautomobiles,likeFordandChevy,inKoreanroads.

WhydoyouthinkAmericanautomobileshavehadsomedifficultiesinpenetratingtheKoreanmarket?

Ithinkit’swidelyunderstoodthatasKoreawasdevelopingitseconomyinthedecadesafter

theKoreanWar,itwasprettyeffectiveatfindingwaystobuildupitsindustrialbase,

inpartbyrestrictingimport!s.Inrecenttimes,thathaschangedforthebetter,

butcertainelementsofthatoldsystemstillremain,

whichhavemadeithardandcostlytobringimport!edcarstoKoreaatareasonableprice.

maybelessofaproblemifyou’resellingluxurycars,butformainstreamU.S.

carcompanieslikeFordandChevywhoaretryingtocompetewithHyundaiandKia,

thoseaddedcostshavebeenaproblem.

i’mpleasedtosaythattheKORUSagreementwilladdresstheseremainingbarriers,

andmakeiteasierforU.S.carcompaniestobringtheircarsto

KoreaandgiveKoreanconsumersmorechoices.

U.S.carcompanieslikeFordandChevroletaresuccessfulinmarketsallaroundtheworld,

andwebelievethatasthebarrierstotheKoreanmarketareeliminated,

theywillbesuccessfulinKoreatoo.

7.YouhavepraisedinmanyoccasionsKoreaneducation.

WhatmakesinyourviewtheKoreaneducationsystemstrong?

WhatshouldtheUSlearnfromKoreatoimproveitseducationalstandards?

IntheUnitedStatesweareveryproudofoursystemofhighereducation.

Wearehometomanyoftheworld’sleadingcollegesanduniversities,

andweareblessedwithmanytalentedstudentsfrommanycountries,includingKorea.

Atthesametime,SouthKorea’scommitmenttoeducationisknown

andadmiredaroundtheworld.TherespectthatKoreansocietyaccords

itsteachersisanexamplethatothercountriescanlearnfrom.

AsInotedinmy2011StateoftheUnionaddress,inSouthKorea,teachers

areknownas"nationbuilders,"andhereinAmerica,it’stimewetreated

thepeoplewhoeducateourchildrenwiththesamelevelofrespect.

Inthataddress,Ialsounderscoredthattheresponsibilityfortheeducation

ofourchildrenbelongsinourhomesandcommunities.

8.IwonderfromwhichchannelsyouhaveacquiredinformationonKoreaneducation.

InspiteofyourpraiseofKoreaneducation,manyKoreansstillthink

thequalityofUSeducationissuperiortoKoreanone.What’syourthoughtonthis?

PresidentLeehasdescribedformehoweducationtransformedhislife

andhowKoreanparentsarepassionateabouttheeducationoftheirchildren.

Ibelievethatbothofourcountrieshavevaluablelessons

wecanlearnfromeachother’seducationsystems.

9.TolessenthetensionintheKoreanpeninsula,

whataboutSouthKoreaandNorthKoreahavingsummittalks?

WesupporteffortsbybothsidestoimproverelationsbetweenSouthandNorthKorea.

ThestrengthoftheU.S.-ROKalliance,

andtheclosecoordinationonNorthKoreapolicybetweenus,

arecriticaltostabilityontheKoreanPeninsulaandcreate

aframeworkforconstructiveengagementbetweenSeoulandPyongyang.

DespiterepeatedprovocationsbytheNorthandthelossofinnocentSouthKoreanlives,

SouthKoreahasshownextraordinaryrestraintandpatience.

10.Doyouthinkthesix-partytalksonNorthKoreadenuclearizationisonthehorizon?

WhataretheprerequisitesofNorthKoreacomingtothenegotiationtable?

OurmessagetoNorthKoreahasbeenclearandconsistent:

NorthKoreacaneitherachievesecurityandrespectbyfinallyfulfilling

itsinternationalobligations,oritcancontinuetoflout

itsresponsibilitiesandfaceevengreaterisolation.

Weremaincommittedtotheverifiabledenuclearizationof

theKoreanPeninsulainapeacefulmannerthroughtheSix-PartyTalks.

NorthKoreahasalongrecordofbrokenpromises.

ItisnotlivinguptothecommitmentsitmadeintheSix-PartyTalks

andisviolatingtheUNSecurityCouncilResolutions.

Asaresult,weandourpartnersincludingtheRepublicofKoreaandJapan-

arelookingforindicationsthatNorthKoreaisreadytoengageinnegotiations

withaseriousnessofpurposenecessarytomakeprogresstowardsdenuclearization.