South Korean president meets L.A. mayor, California governor

South Korean President Park Geun-hye wrapped up a five-day United States tour Thursday with a visit to Los Angeles, home to the largest number of Koreans outside of her country.

Park, who is traveling with a delegation of several dozen South Korean business officials, clinked champagne glasses with Gov. Jerry Brown and Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa during a luncheon at Getty House, the mayor's official residence in Hancock Park.

The visit by Park, elected South Korean president in December, comes on the 60th anniversary of a security alliance between the U.S. and South Korea spawned during the 1950s Korean War, an alliance she said has developed into a successful free trade agreement.

She told the audience of business and political dignitaries that her trip - in which she met with members of the U.S. Congress and President Barack Obama to discuss security threats from North Korea - has re-affirmed the agreement.

On Wednesday, Park thanked Congress members for their support of South Korea and stressed that her country "will never accept a nuclear-armed North Korea. "

The U.S. was a "blood-forged ally that helped to safeguard democracy in Korea" during the Korean War and has provided aid to her country over the years, Park said.

"From the United States' perspective, Korea's success is also its success," she said.

Villaraigosa highlighted Korean-Americans' "deep roots" in Korea,

saying Los Angeles and South Korea "are linked by more than just trade and tourism" evidenced in the passenger jets and container ships with "billions of dollars of goods" that move between the two places and also by their "histories and cultures. "

Park echoed Villaraigosa's sentiments, saying that Korean-Americans have contributed to Los Angeles in the areas of "politics, business, as well as culture ... thereby serving a bridging role between our two communities. "

Brown stressed that relations between California and South Korea in politics, business and culture are as important as ever.

"California is truly a world state," he said. "Turbulence in the world and the insecurities all require that the democracies of the world get closer and closer together. "

The 61-year-old Park, who took office in February, has political bloodlines. Her late father, Park Chung-hee, was virtual dictator of South Korea from 1961 to 1979, when he was assassinated by his own security forces. Her mother died in 1974 during a botched effort to kill her father.

Source: http://www.dailynews.com/news/ci_23212573/south-korean-president-meets-l-mayor-california-governor?source=rss

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