President Ma Ying-jeou held a special press conference on the evening of December 19 at the Office of the President to explain the impact of the new situation in North Korea on international relations, on the cross-strait situation, and on Taiwan's economy. The president stated that the government has designed measures that could be introduced as needed, and stressed that the government has every confidence that it can remain abreast of the latest developments and take whatever response measures are needed. President Ma also called on the public not to panic, and to remain calm.
Also present at the press conference were high- ranking government officials including Vice President Vincent C. Siew, National Security Council Secretary-General Hu Wei-jen (胡為真), and Vice Premier Sean C. Chen (陳冲).
Below are the remarks delivered by the president during the press conference:
North Korea this morning announced the passing of their leader Kim Jong-il. On November 25, I had already instructed related agencies here to pay close attention to the possible changes that could take place on the Korean Peninsula in the "post-Kim Jong-il era" and to make all necessary preparations in advance.
This morning, after the news was announced by North Korea, I immediately directed National Security Council Secretary-General Hu to summon officials from related agencies to convene a meeting of national security leaders. In addition to officials from the Ministry of National Defense, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Executive Yuan's Mainland Affairs Council, representatives from the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Economic Affairs, the Executive Yuan's Government Information Office, and other financial-related agencies met to iron out measures that could be adopted in response if needed. Secretary-General Hu just moments ago briefed me on the conclusions from the meeting. Now, I would like to explain the impact on the ROC in terms of international relations and the state of cross-strait ties, as well as the effects on the nation's economy.
Firstly, in terms of international relations, South Korea, Japan, the United States, Russia, and mainland China have stepped up their monitoring of the situation in North Korea. The United States and North Korea recently have achieved progress in talks on nuclear arms issues. Meanwhile, North Korea has increasingly sought to improve its international trade relations in order to address its domestic shortage of staple foods and energy. In light of these developments, countries are not over-reacting to the situation. Furthermore, these nations also do not desire to see turmoil in East Asia. The ROC government will maintain in close contact with other countries on these issues in the near future.
Secondly, with regard to cross-strait relations, the state of ties between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait is presently stable and person-to-person contacts are continuing as normal. Our government will continue to monitor any changes in the situation, but there is no need to raise our military preparedness.
Thirdly, Taiwan's economic fundamentals are quite sound, and compare favorably against other countries in East Asia. The ROC's Central Bank and other government agencies with a financial or economic portfolio are closely monitoring developments at home and abroad.
In response to the changes in the situation in North Korea and East Asia, we want to urge countries throughout the Asia-Pacific region to continue to maintain regional stability and security. With regard to future developments and the resulting impact, as well as the situation on the Korean Peninsula, the government will be closely monitoring events around the clock. The National Security Council and agencies under the Executive Yuan will brief me as needed. The government has every confidence that it will be able to remain abreast of the latest developments and will have the proper preparations in place for any eventuality. The public should remain calm and continue with their daily lives as normal, and there is no need for fear or panic.