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By the mid-1990s, nearly everything in North Korea was worn out, broken, malfunctioning. The country had seen better days.

Well when I was young, actually not just me, but we were all poor. Korea used to be one of the poorest countries in the world. Despite such circumstances, I was very, very fortunate to be blessed with having parents who always instilled in a spirit of can-do spirit.

I'm impressed by the economic development of Korea. And women scientists played, without doubt, an important role in it.

Korea can't become a 'first-class' nation unless regulation and 'a sense of power' disappear. The nation's politics is the fourth-class, bureaucratic are the third-class, and business is the second-class.

Korean children get a lot of fuss made over them, I guess because life was tough in the old country, and it was a big deal if you survived. There's a big party thrown when you are 100 days old, followed by another when you make it to one whole year.

My parents were born in Korea. They spent a good part of their life in Korea.

One of the ways the North Korea regime has kept power is by keeping its people ignorant of the living standards in the outside world. That's the underlying lie that supports the regime - not that their country is 'normal' but that they are better off.

The United States depends on South Korea and Japan to help promote American values in East Asia.

South Korea's economy is still difficult. I will create a country where nobody worries about putting food on the table.

Korea is an open society and we will make sure that there is no restriction on foreign investment in Korea.