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World Bank President

By Park Hyun, Washington correspondent

In reference to economic aid to North Korea, World Bank President Jim Yong Kim said the bank is prepared to provide rapid assistance to North Korea when a political breakthrough is made.

Kim, who is making a trip to South Korea and Japan next week, met with South Korean Washington correspondents on Nov. 24. “My father fled North Korea by himself during the Korean War, and his brothers and sisters still live in the North,” Kim said,“ so the North Korean issue is of great interest to me on a personal level.”

“I closely follow news reports about the humanitarian crisis in North Korea and the suffering of the North Korean people,” Kim said.

When asked what kind of specific preparations the World Bank is making, Kim said, “Since we are not a political organization, we cannot take part in working for a political breakthrough. But we will continue to work closely with the staff of the Korea Development Institute and other experts in South Korea to prepare for what will come after a political breakthrough is made.”

“Currently, we are compiling all kinds of necessary materials related to North Korea,” Kim said.

“North Korea needs to learn a lesson from the example of Myanmar [also called Burma],” Kim said. “Before, Myanmar was a closed society like North Korea. But now that it has opened up, South Korean and Japanese companies are preparing for future investment, and the World Bank is actively organizing aid activities to deal with the country‘s energy shortage.”

“The World Bank is engaging in these aid activities to show the military government of Myanmar and the people of the country that democracy is the right path,” said Kim.

He explained this as a “message that if Myanmar opens up and chooses the path of democracy, the international community and the World Bank will move quickly to supply energy, will provide assistance for building basic infrastructure, and will help with developing local society.”

“The example of Myanmar accurately illustrates the work that the World Bank would do if North Korea opened up,” Kim said, urging North Korea to pay attention.

Kim also mentioned South Korea’s education system during the meeting. “South Koreans need to ask themselves whether their system of education is really appropriate for training innovative leaders for the next generation, and whether they are investing enough in research and development.”

“Finland’s education innovation is a model that South Korea, Japan, and every country ought to take note of,” Kim said.

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