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Kyudok Hong, the Ambassador of the Republic of Korea in Budapest, delivered a presentation entitled "Relentless Revolution" at the latest event of the Institute for the Research of Communism. According to the former South Korean Deputy Defence Minister, Hungary and Hungarians set an example for Seoul in the fight against the communist dictatorship. The professor emeritus argued that North Korea must stop its missile tests without delay; an immediate ceasefire is essential in the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, in which communist Korea is supporting Moscow with arms. The ambassador considers the House of Terror Museum a bastion for freedom fighters.

Jó napot kívánok! Ladies and Gentlemen, Distinguished Guests,

I’m very honored and privileged to speak before you. First of all, I must say thank you to the Director General of the Terror House, Dr. Mária Schmidt. She has been so kind to me. I have met her about six months ago, but I’m very much impressed with the insight and vision she provides us. So, it is an honor for me to speak with her assistants. And then also my appreciation also goes to Dr. Fekete Rajmund, he’s kind of a type of guy as a perfectionist, and then also he tries to leaving no stones unturned. So, he checked again and again and again. So, I am very much impressed the way he deals with his job. And also, lastly, Ladies and Gentlemen, Distinguished Guests, you came all the way through this windy day to meet with me, so I’m very much appreciate to you. And then I hope I can do the wonderful presentation to you. But if something wrong with me, that’s all my fault. But if it’s good enough, that’s all thanks to Mária Schmidt and also Mr. Fekete. 

So, my topic will be why North Korea matters to Hungary, the cost of totalitarianism. Why don’t I show you some of the pictures? This is done by the Davos Forum, they ended last week. They ended on the 19th: last week. If you look at the global risks among the chart, so they are asking, the Davos Forum asked about 1,490 global leaders, including many politicians and economists and scholars. But interestingly enough, they say in 2024, extreme weather is the best one they are concerned about. Then number two, AI-generated misinformation, and then some political polarization, and then also cost of living crisis, cyber-attacks. We all understand that. But my point today is that if you look at the number eight: the escalation and outbreak of armed conflict. That’s a very important one, but only 25% think that’s very important among the dangers or risks for 2024. So, I try to remind you that, that was very much underestimated. So, and then also number twelve, if you see: accidental or intentional nuclear event – that’s only 12% of the respondents say that would be the possible risk. But I think that will be very, very important dangers we have to face. 

So, my topic will be, I try to, this lecture, I’m going to deal with this. So, I’ll try to deal with the dangers of changing geopolitics, especially related to the Ukraine war, and the Hamas attack toward Israel, and then North Korea’s endeavors to escalate the war by delivering illicit weapons to the Russian army in Ukraine. So, our focus is on North Korea’s nuclear ambition. And then as Mária Schmidt just mentioned, we have to realize how close we are to the danger. So, if you think that Korea is far away, 8,000 kilometers away from Central Europe; but everything is very much connected. So, if something happens in the Far East, it will directly impact Central Europe – even Hungary. So, I try to emphasize that. And then you may wonder why they keep firing missiles, why they develop so many different types of missiles, how much that costs for them, and how they finance their nuclear and missile development. 

So, there’s a very important question in international relations, many scholars ask: Why do states behave as they do? So, no one can answer it clearly; but, however, we need to understand the unique North Korean political system, society, culture, and how it deprives freedom and basic human rights of the people. So, to answer that question – why do North Koreans behave as they do – we have to look into it closely. And then I also would like to draw your attention that there exists a Christian community in North Korea. So how can we assist them to keep their faith in the Lord? So that’s what I’m trying to say to you. So, I’m going to focus on some geopolitics. Many people say that, you know, “the return of geopolitics”. But many professors don’t really teach geopolitics in the classroom. So, the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which is reported on TV and the internet every day, is more than enough to shock and frighten us. So maybe next 24th [February] will be the second anniversary already. So, the invasion of Ukraine once again reminds us of the grim reality of the international order, in which a small or medium-sized country is sacrificed for the security interests of great powers. You know, you probably heard many times about this famous dictum: “The strong do what they can and the weak suffer what they must.” I like it very much. You know, that was done by Thucydides in the History of the Peloponnesian War. The principle of international politics – that the powerful sets the rules and the weaker countries only follow them – is already well documented in the History of the Peloponnesian War, written by the Greek historian Thucydides 2,500 years ago. 

So, the geopolitics of Northeast Asia, that South Korea faces today, is just as complicated as Hungary in Central Europe. And also, there is no safe place in the world, as the security of Europe is closely connected with the security of the Far East. So historically, Hungary and South Korea have many commonalities and share key lessons of geopolitics. So, you know probably what geopolitics means, but this is a textbook, so I’m going to explain to you: “Geopolitics is a way of understanding international issues through geographical factors.” So, it includes not only natural obstacles such as mountain ranges and physical topography, such as linkage in river networks, but also climate, demographics, cultural areas, and access to natural resources. Geopolitics points out that these factors can have a profound impact on many aspects of our civilization, from politics, military strength, to human social development, encompassing language, education, and religion. So, as a former professor, when I teach International Politics 101, I use this slide. 

So, the very famous hypothesis is that the more borders a country has with neighboring countries, the more likely it is to become involved in wars – both large and small. So, in many textbooks they give an example of Türkiye. So Türkiye has borders with the seven countries of Bulgaria, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Iran, Georgia, and Armenia. They are historically disrupted areas, where the cessation of war is not to last long. But many people don’t know Hungary has a similar number of borders. So I try to take your attention to this issue. So Hungary has lots of troubles with the bordering countries, so the giant powers next to borders. So, if you believe that hypothesis, how about Korea? Is this a deviant case? Because Korea has, if you see the map, only two borders: China, and slightly with Russia. So, we don’t know much about Russia. But anyway, that’s why we learn from your experience with Russia. But anyway, also China and Russia border the Korean peninsula, it’s geopolitically unstable and surrounded by great powers with a marked power gap compared to South Korea. So, I would like to tell you that not only the number of your borders is important. The important thing is the power gap. When you border… Even if we have only two neighboring countries, the power gap is enormous. So that’s another factor. And then the strategic location is very important. You know, South Korea is located on the pathway between the continental powers and maritime powers. So continental powers try to go to Japan, they have to pass through the Korean peninsula. Also, at the same time, if Japan will challenge the continental powers, they have to pass through Korea. So, the result is that Korea has historically experienced more than 931 invasions from abroad. But you know, it’s a miracle. Like Sándor Petőfi once mentioned that “it’s a miracle from God that we still survive”. Anyway, South Korea has had many experiences of coercion from foreign powers: you know, 931 invasions, but only six voluntary expeditions have occurred. Wow, what a lopsided difference, right? So, the public image of the military as a protector against external aggression and public trust toward the military was relatively lacking. That’s our problem. So that’s why we try to enhance the military capability of our own, and then strengthen the alliance with the United States and maintain a good relationship with Japan: a plausible alternative for us. 

So, you are always interested in Ukraine. You know, Dr. Mária Schmidt just mentioned about that. How are you going to solve this problem? How many of you think that the war will end soon? I don’t think so. So, we better find out a way how to fix the problem. So, I’ll probably show this lady: I mean Dr. Elizabeth Stanley, who is now teaching at Georgetown University in the United States. You know, she wrote a very wonderful piece on the Korean War. It lasted for three years, more than three years, because after the first year, everybody was fatigued and fed up. So, China lost a great deal, and then also Russia, and then also the United States – and Korea, of course. And then also sixteen countries participated in sending their forces. So, every country wanted the war to finish quickly, but it wouldn’t. So, it lasted more than three years. The problem is that in the last half of the path more casualties were produced than the first six months. So that’s why we have to look into it closely. So, Elizabeth Stanley thinks that… she mentioned about the preference obstacle. So, what does she mean by that? The preference obstacle means that Stalin’s – at the time – willingness to continue the war: to delay the process of the ceasefire. So, if I tell the conclusion first, after Stalin passed away, within two months, we would make the ceasefire. So that means a lot to us. I’m not a fortune teller, so I can’t answer to you how long the Ukrainian-Russian war will continue. But there are four reasons: stakes were too high from the point of Stalin; and then fighting in the war helps leaders stay in power; and then cost of inaction is also higher; but the last part is continuing a war will provide more information about US capability and drain the United States’ resources. That’s the basic reason that Stalin tried to continue the war. So, it will probably help us to understand the Ukrainian-Russian war. So, the ceasefire: I think I very much appreciate the Ministry of Foreign Affairs from Hungary to suggest the ceasefire. But that is a necessary condition. That won’t help everything. 

So, I’m going to bring another one, my friend Robert Muggah’s theory of the “conflict trap”. He’s an economist. And he told me that overseas investment for a war zone is a necessary condition for avoiding another crisis. What do we mean by that? His study has estimated that an investment of up to 75% of the current level of conflict prevention could save about 300,000 people and $9.8 trillion in 23 countries from the danger of war. So, if you go a little bit into detail, as for the countries that went to war, you’re hoping 72.6% of the countries fell into a state of war again the following year, very next year. So, we have to think about that too. But after then, what step are we going to do? So, we have to think about this too. So, the countries are often caught in the prolonged and vicious cycles of war and recovery, often unable to escape into a new, more peaceful state. So, if 75% of the additional conflict prevention investment is made compared to now, the cost burden will be overcome… no this is a mistake, 2026. So, by 2030, about $200 billion of additional economic benefits are expected worldwide per year. So, we have to focus on how we’re going to save money or to invest for the prevention of conflict after the war. 

So, you have to think first in a ceasefire, but next thing we have to do is try to put investment to stabilize the situation. So, my government try to do some effort to support the people in Ukraine, kind of the humanitarian aid. So, in the first year alone, since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, my government has been deploying multi-level humanitarian aid efforts to help the people of Ukraine of about $3 million. But next year, we doubled the ODA fund. And then also, my government will do its best to expand trade partnership with the EU and NATO members, countries, and then to solve the new challenges – including Hungary. And then we found that we have maintained the principle that we are not providing lethal weapons to Ukraine. We don’t want to escalate the war. But we found that there are many soldiers now wounded by the landmines. So, we decided to provide the K600 mine clearing vehicle, and then also those ambulances to carry all the wounded soldiers back to the hospital. So that’s what we decided. And then, you know, now in the winter, there’s no electricity, no heating at all. So, all the housewives and women and elderly and children are suffering. So, we decided to provide some electric transformers, and then also the medicines and everything. So that’s why we have done this too. Because we’ve been experiencing that kind of suffering 70 years ago. So, you know, Korea no longer exists if others are not helping us. So, during the Korean War, sixteen countries sent their forces, troops. And then, you know, 62 countries sent their materiel. So otherwise, we could not bounce back. So, we realized how important the foreign support is. So that’s why we decided to try to bring up humanitarian aid. 

But how about the DPRK? You know, the DPRK has done a lot of sending illicit weapons to Ukraine. So, if I tell you, that my government and then the United States and Japan also tried to get all the intelligence and then tried to use satellite images. And then we found out that from North Korea to Najin to Khasan and Khasan to the Siberian Railway to go to Tikhoretsk in Ukraine – so Russian forces in that places. So, you know, how much would that be? You know, 5,600 cargo trailers. So, that includes lots of ammunition and artillery shells and missiles and everything. So, we’ve checked, and already sixteen times they delivered all the weapons and the ammunition. So that’s very dangerous things. So, you have to understand that. And then more dangerous thing is this one. Russia, on December 30th and then January 2nd and then January 6th and January 10th, they tried to use, I mean, fired KN-23 ballistic missiles toward Zaporizhzhia: that’s the place where the nuclear plant is located. So there are dangerous places – and Kharkiv. So, there are many places in Ukraine that now the Russian forces are using the North Korean-made missiles. So that’s very dangerous. So, this not only has an escalation effect, but also delays the end of the war in Ukraine. So that I try to emphasize to you. And then, you know, the North Korean president – I mean Kim Jong Un – has met with Vladimir Putin, on September 13th, 2023. So, they failed twice already, the launching of the spy rocket. But finally, the third time, they succeeded to launch the spy satellite on November 24th, thanks to the probable technical support from Russia. So, we are very much worrying about this. This is done already. 

But, you know, we hope that Russia will not continue to provide more sensitive technologies to North Korea, because North Korea expects to transfer reentry vehicles, reentry technology, and then altitude adjustment, or SLBMs – submarine-launched ballistic missile development – or the MIRV – independent reentry vehicle targeting – technology from Russia. If those core technologies are spread to North Korea, the possibility of a war implies to increase significantly. So that’s why the risk increases when the conflict is spreading from Europe to East Asia. This is about a very important moment. While the world has been focusing on the Ukraine crisis, North Korea attempted more than 70 missile launches since then. On December 19th, 2023 – last year, last December – North Korea launched the so-called Hwasong-18 intercontinental ballistic missile. This is huge, the amount of the crisis we are facing. 

So, you may wonder why North Korea keeps on firing missiles. So, probably the number one reason is to show off their own ability, capability. And then to obtain the concessions from the United States – not only the United States, but from South Korea or Japan. And then, thirdly, to inspire fear to their own people. The people think, “Why do we have to endure ourselves? Because of the threat from the United States, imperialist countries or South Korea or Japan. But you know that we never intend to invade North Korea. But they have to inspire the fear to their own people. Lastly, to instigate domestic anxiety, which means that we are having election quickly – I mean, the election is coming around the corner, on April 10th. But they try to influence the Korean voters, because they are framing that “Peace or war?”. So, because the current government is very much for maintaining some hardline policy toward, against, the DPRK. So that kind of thing. Also, the election issue is very important, because they are expecting to have Donald Trump back to the government – so, to become the President. Because as you know, Kim Jong Un has met him twice already, but he didn’t have a chance to make him persuaded. So, if he became the President, he wishes to have a rendezvous again with him and then try to get whatever he wants from him. So, the last reason will be that this is very important for North Korea, because if they can send their weapons and munitions to Russia, in return they will get some crops or food and all the working permits, and then money. So, this is an isolated country. They have nothing to sell, but this is the cheapest one they have and then they have plenty of it. So, they try to get the benefit out of the export to Russia. 

So, the next question is why they fire so many different types. This [missiles shown on the screen] is not all. I mean, they have more than sixteen and then now, in addition to that, they keep inventing new ones. So, from the intercontinental missile, from the short-range missile, there are so many different types. So, it’s unusual for a country like North Korea to develop so many different types and variety of missiles. Do you know why? Because they are trying to fire with some mixed fire. I mean, if you put together everything, it is very difficult for us to defend. Do you know how close we are from North Korea? A one-hour drive. So much less than the, I mean, the here from the, how do I say? So, Korea is a narrow peninsula. So, if they fire together, all together, and then in addition to that, they have 16,000 artillery throughout the whole DMZ area. So, if they put together with the conventional artilleries and then also missiles, so no matter how we develop ourselves, we cannot practically defend everything. So, that’s why they try to develop the variety of numbers of missiles. So, the conclusion – I mean the short conclusion – is this subsequent provocation can be interpreted as a calculated pattern of behavior to put pressure on the U.S. Biden administration under the confrontational structure between the U.S.–China and U.S.–Russia strategic competition. The continuous development of strategic weapons such as hypersonic missiles and the launch of medium-range missiles such as Hwasong-8 are helping to secure internal cohesion, domestic cohesion – but further sinking North Korea into isolation. That’s the problem. 

So, the next question is, how much does it cost? So they, in ’22, they fired about 63 missiles, but it cost about 560 million altogether. But if you can use that money for buying food, you can buy the estimate based on the price of the rice and corn at the Chicago Board of Trade, you can buy enough food for the North Korean population annually: for one year. So, they are wasting it for nothing. So, I’m very much worrying about that kind of situation. And then also, if your short-range ballistic missiles cost 3 to 5 million per piece, and then intermediate range is 10 to 15, and then long-range ICBMs cost 20 to 30 million per each. So, for nothing. So, if they have enough money, it’s okay, but their people are not… they are very much malnourished, but they are spending a whole lot of money for nothing. Waste of money. So, missile launches are very much related to North Korea’s economic situation, which has worsened since Kim Jong Un took power, and the economic growth prospects and external economic imbalance facing North Korea are actually very serious now. Due to the prolonged COVID crisis, it is difficult for North Korea to enter the overseas labor market, and the food situation is getting worse and worse. So North Korea’s original plan of ultimately obtaining sanctions relief through pressure on the U.S. is extremely unlikely to be realized. As you know, the U.S. Biden administration has no interest in negotiating with Pyongyang without corresponding measures for denuclearization. So, if North Korea concentrates solely on developing strategic weapons, and takes advantage of the Ukraine crisis, the intensity of sanctions against North Korea in which the international community – such as the EU and Australia and many other countries – participate will gradually increase, in addition to individual sanctions by the United States. 

So, the next question will be, where do they find the financial resources? So North Korea is known to have swindled more than one billion U.S. dollars in virtual currency from blockchain companies around the world, and used it to support ballistic missiles and weapons of mass destruction programs. So, according to the U.S. Rand Institute report, this cost could solve 60% of North Korea’s severe food shortage, as I just told you. And they create illegal funds through cyber money, coins and hacking, and use them to develop nuclear weapons and weapons of mass destruction. 

So why do they continue to do that? As I just told you, you have to understand the political system of North Korea. So, Dr. Fekete, Rajmund already mentioned to you, the Kim family ruled for over three generations – from 1948 through to today. So, Kim Il Sung had no public profile. He used to be the army captain appointed by the Russian and Soviet army at that time. But he held the full power after the Korean War, and then by 1956 he became the sole in position. And then also they started to transform the Marxist-Leninist party into the kind of family-oriented system to focus on Kim Il Sung only. So that’s the beginning of the sad story. And then after Kim Il Sung passed away, the next step they have done is try to pass power onto Kim Jong Il. And then Kim Jong Il also failed for health reasons, so he passed away in 2011. And then now the grandson, Kim Jong Un, became the top of the ladder. And then he’s now fully in control of the military as well as the party. He’s now maintaining the chair of the Supreme Military Commission. So that’s the powerhouse. And then he tried to organize the party according to his plan. But the question is, Kim Jong Un’s still ruling ideologies are based on Kim Il Sung, his grandfather, and then his father Kim Jong Il. So, they always emphasize Juche and the military first of the Kim Jong Il era, rather than creating his own. But I can summarize the four characteristics of his government. The first thing is the extreme pursuit of nuclear advancement. And then secondly, extreme economic difficulties by isolation and maldistribution of resources. Thirdly, strengthening of the control mechanism and the operation system of our people. Then finally, aggressive provocations toward the United States as well as Korea and Japan, and calling for anti-imperialism and anti-capitalism. 

So, the next question will be, you will be very much interested in. Is it possible for you to imagine? They are thinking about the fourth-generation succession. So, nobody knows, but this lady – I mean, the young girl, the nine-year-old – is now emerging as the star general by respectfully showing up in the state media. Since November 22^nd she has shown up sixteen times: so, all the military, the parade, as well as the Army headquarters, Navy headquarters, the Air Force headquarters. So now, interestingly enough, there are three professors now studying, analyzing the psychology of Kim Ju-ae. I don’t know how come they analyze the psychological status. But anyway, Frederick Coolidge of the University of Colorado, and Ian Robinson from Trinity College of Ireland, and then Fathali Moghaddam from Georgetown University, they found in her face narcissism. I don’t know how come they found it. But anyway, the question for the three scholars is whether she will become a different leader, or she will just follow the suit of her father and her grandfather. So there the temporary conclusion is that she’ll end up as, will become, a ruthless leader like her father or grandfather, because she’s very much isolated from her own peer group. And then everybody’s praising her and her almighty capability, or something like that. So she will probably never understand ordinary life. So anyway, with Kim Ju-ae you may very much wonder why they brought up a nine-year-old girl so early. I will give you the three reasons. The first is they’re going to show the whole world that they were not going to give up their nuclear ambition forever. So even his daughter will follow the continuation, that duty. And then, secondly, they tell everybody in North Korea that so-called “Baekdu-hyeoltong”, which means only their direct siblings or the Kim family can succeed. So, nobody can do that. And then lastly, you know, Kim Jong-un is now 140 kilograms. He’s got some heart problems too. So, if something happens, they’re going to make sure that the transfer of power will go through smoothly without any challenges. That’s why they are doing this. 

And then, you know, I’m going to introduce Dr. Ted Robert Gurr, and his very famous book in the 1970s, “Why Men Rebel”. So according to Professor Gurr, if the aspiration gap is larger between the people’s expectation and the Government’s capability to provide some services, that’s a very dangerous signal. So, the aspiration gap is getting larger and larger, growing and growing. That’s the kind of the sign for the people to try to challenge and revolt. But, you know, in North Korea, they’ve been suffering enough: seven decades already. But why, you know, why not? Why is revolution impossible, revolution from the below? It’s impossible in North Korea because of very brutal pressure from the Government. 

And then the next question is: Is it more dangerous if the economy develops? But the problem is if you’re the red circle in the second graph, they try to intentionally put status in that area. If the economic growth is low, they don’t even think about revolt, because they are barely living themselves. If your stomach is full, you have to think that this system may be not so good for me or my friend. But in that area, they have no way to revolt or think of a different way. So that’s why North Korea tries to force their people into that situation. So you have in your school days probably read “A Tale of Two Cities” by Charles Dickens. But Pyongyang is exactly… the North Korean life is a tale of two cities. Pyongyang is very luxurious: they say “Manhattan”. I don’t know if they really went to Manhattan, New York, but they call themselves Manhattan, like the beautiful city in Pyongyang. But the suburban areas and there are also other, I mean, a parallel world. They’re very horrible – I mean, they’re very disturbed. 

So now the very interesting thing is that this year January 15th, Kim Jong Un took the podium and then tried to announce to the people that they got a new plan: 20 by 10. Do you know what that means? North Korea has 28 cities – except Pyongyang, the capital city. And then they have 172 counties all over North Korea. So, he acknowledged that in the countryside there is too much malnutrition and then also they’re very backward. So, he acknowledged that. So, his new plan is every year to pick up 20 counties and then try to put some, build some facilities and factories, and then try to make the life better within 10 years. So that kind of new proposal was made. You know, in a country like North Korea, if he said that, you may imagine how bad the situation will be. So that’s why Kim Jong Un just announced the 20:10 plan that he announced about two weeks ago. So, if you look at this, you know, the data made by the NGO group called Walk Free, they are, you know, North Korea is very much a country with forced labor. They have some gulags and debt bondage and human trafficking, and try to have forced military service. So, the problem is very much annoying, because according to this NGO group, 3.9 million are considered as kind of forced laborers: the modern type of slavery. But according to this institute, 69% of the 3.9 million are residing in North Korea. So, for every thousand people they are recording 104.6: so, number one in the whole world. So, that is really annoying data made by one of the Western NGOs. And then also, if you read Rhoda Howard-Hassman’s article written in 2017, about 1.5 million died at the various gulags in North Korea. Among the various reasons, intentional starvation-level rationing was the primary cause for those sacrificed. The average working hours in the gulags per day is 16.5 hours. There the allowance per day is 250 grams: very, very small. So, that’s very annoying. 

I’ll try to touch upon the Christian life in North Korea. You know, North Korea, Pyongyang was called the Jerusalem of the East a long time ago. But now they are… all the Christians are persecuted since 1958. So, there are now only two churches: Bongsu Church and Chilgol Church. And then only one Catholic Church is remaining. And then the official records told us that there are Christians: about 12,300 and 20 pastors; and then 513 places for the people to have a prayer. But according to the many missionaries we have working for the underground churches, they say there are about 100 underground churches there, and also 300,000 Christians are living in that country. But we don’t know clearly about how their lives will be, but they are educated to report to the authorities if they find anything suspicious about Christianity. So that very horrible situation is taking place. And then also the harsh punishment for North Korean defectors. But the interesting thing is, only 75% of North Korean defectors are women. So, we don’t know why, but they are the only ones who can escape from military service and everything. So, now the Chinese government tried to… they never recognized them as refugees, so recently they repatriated 600 people to North Korea. But if they are brought back to North Korea, they will be sentenced to lifetime in prison or the kind of tortures and very much suffered severely. 

So, I recommend you to watch this movie – I mean documentary – that is nominated for the Oscar for March 24th. So hopefully it will nominate as the best film. But this is a story made by Madeleine Gavin, one of the directors, and the title is “Beyond Utopia”. And this is a story of the desperate families to escape from North Korea to arrive to South Korea through various countries. So, hopefully you can just have the chance to watch this movie. 

I tried to tell you that there are still the notorious prison camps existing in North Korea. So, we believe that five political prison camps still exist, and then the estimated capacity is 80,000 to 120,000 each. So what are we going to do? So, my government tried to work very hard to ask North Korea. We called it an “audacious initiative”. So, if North Korea stopped developing nuclear weapons and transitioned to a practical denuclearization process, we’re going to provide some food and everything they need. But they turned us down, so there is no progress at all. So, we definitely need your help. And then we need to work closely with our trade partners in the EU and NATO. And then the South Korean government also expects continued cooperation with Hungary and other European countries in strong condemnation of the North Korean nuclear threat, and try to persuade for denuclearization. 

This is the picture I’d like to show you. Last year, December 10th, Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon, went to Korea for his own business. But when he left Korea, he said on the way back from Korea, he talked about the “effective accelerationism” he found from the Korean side. And what does he mean? This is the decay from the acceleration. So, there’s quite a stark comparison between the North and South. Again, you know, Elon Musk came to Korea and then when he left, on the last day of 2023, he suggested a very interesting story. He told us that the crazy idea might be: “Let’s divide the two and then put one half in capitalism and the other one in communism, and then see what happens in 70 years.” You don’t need to wait 70 years. So, there are huge differences. Anyway, we are working very hard for our brand name of our foreign policy: “global pivotal state”. So, we try to work with many different parts of the world to try to give our kind of contribution and then work through, with your help. According to U.S. News and World Report rates Korea as the sixth most powerful country in the world – so we are not satisfied, but thanks to your help and assistance. Even though during the past 12 years they may have a nuclear capability, the problem is, many of the Americans or the Europeans, they think that this survey tells the true nature: 82% of white male college graduates cited North Korea as America’s greatest enemy. So that really is a great loss for them, too. 

And then as friends and brothers advancing together for the future, we look forward to a constructive and hopeful future for Korea and Hungary. And then we are very much impressed by your way of the foreign policy, particularly “Eastern Opening”. So, our policy has many common grounds with you. And then we work very hard to make it a great relationship, bilateral relationship – not satisfied with a good, just good relationship. This is the one I’d like to talk to you about. You know, I believe the Terror House is the bastion of protecting the freedom fighters. So, we try to build the same kind of museum on North Korean human rights center. So, I strongly believe that our center will be modeled after the Terror House. So that’s my true wish. And then finally, I have a couple of reasons for you on why I have to respect the Hungarian Terror House and then the Hungarian system. Hungary trains strong freedom fighters. I think the Terror House effectively and continuously passes on the lessons of failure of communism and totalitarianism to the people. And then secondly, to give pride to the people. This is a very important one. We learn from you. So, the cultivating pride and the spirit of challenge as survivors of repeated external invasions and totalitarian atrocities. Thirdly, promoting respect and remembrance for the victims of totalitarianism. This one, we really need to emulate from yours. So, we already forgot many things in the past. And then fourth, the efforts of the Hungarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs to help Christian churches being destroyed and persecuted Christians in conflict areas. I think this is marvelous. And then this deserves the admiration from the outside world. So, the gentleman in the picture is the secretary general, His Excellency Tristan Azbej. I talked to him, I met him, so I’m very much impressed. But I tried to ask him that, don’t forget about the Christian, the minority groups living in North Korea. So, we count on you. So, you have to, you should not forget that there are a whole bunch of Christians living in North Korea. So, if they can come to here, I think that you can provide some education, the opportunity. Also, we hope that we will bring many of the North Korean escapees to Hungary to learn from your own experiences. 

And then we hope South Korea and Hungary will work together with an open attitude by sharing each other’s experiences and wisdom to destroy totalitarianism and foster the value of freedom and the proper life in the next generation. So, we promise to make sincere efforts on our path. I always believe that freedom is not free. So, we very much appreciate your strong efforts to build this kind of beautiful tradition to protect your freedom fighters. As a friend of Hungary, we always wish to work together with you. And this is my presentation. I must stop here.

Thank you so much for listening.

 Available in Hungarian on Látószög Blog.