Never fail to keep promise to reform: Kim says upon arrival

President Kim Dae-Jung returned home Wednesday after attending the Nobel Peace Prize award ceremony in Norway and making an official visit to Sweden.

In a home-coming statement upon his arrival at Seoul Airport, President Kim said he would keep his promise to complete reforms in state affairs. Saying he is aware of the public's concerns over the economy, he said that through effective implementation of the economic reforms, he would do his best to lay a solid economic foundation and stabilize the people's livelihood.

President Kim went on to say that the government would do its utmost to alleviate the hardships faced by ordinary Koreans, especially low- and medium-income earners. But he called upon all of the people to play their own roles in the restructuring process, stating that the government alone would be unable to overcome the difficulties.

The President said, "The world is keeping a closer eye on the Korean situation that we may think. But we can achieve any goal if we have a can-do spirit."

Referring to his naming as this year's Nobel Peace Prize winner, he said on this occasion, the question of peace on the Korean peninsula has become a global concern and that this would exert a great influence on North Korea. He went on to voice confidence that this would contribute immeasurably to efforts to establish peace on the peninsula.

"The Nobel Prize was not awarded only to an individual man," he said. "But to the Korean people as a whole, who love peace and fought for human rights and democracy. At the same time, the prize is an evaluation of the Korean people and its history, as well as an expression of respect for their endeavors toward inter-Korean reconciliation and cooperation," he concluded.