NEW YORK ― While security is high on the agenda, President Park Geun-hye’s trip to the U.S. also aims to boost investment and trade and deliver her commitment to transforming Korea into a “creative” economy.

Her schedule on the flight and in New York on Sunday (Monday Korea time) underscored her economic mission as she emphasized the roles of small innovators in powering the Korean economy to advance beyond its current growth limits.

The president is accompanied by a number of representatives of small and medium-sized businesses in a show of her resolve to promoting their potential.

“It is hoped that they will be able to have a successful trip business-wise as well,” she said during her meeting with her official delegation on board the presidential airplane.

“It may not be so for such (countries) as the U.S. but countries in South America or Euraisa, for instance, have extensive interest in our smaller businesses.”

Ministers and aides attending the brief session included Minister of Industry, Trade and Resources Yoon Sang-jik, Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se, Ambassador to the U.S. Choi Young-jin and senior secretary for foreign affairs Ju Chul-ki.

Before the meeting, Park made an unscheduled tour of the plane shortly after takeoff, shaking hands one by one with the press and welcoming her delegation in joining her first overseas tour.

On arrival in New York, she attended her first official event, a meeting with Korean-Americans in the city.

She used the conference to promote her creative economy policy and reassure potential investors of the stability of the Korean economy despite the North Korean military threat.

“The Android system crated by Google and the smartphones made by Korean companies combine to lead the global market. This kind of convergence on a global scale is one important direction of a creative economy,” she told about 450 participants.

“Its development requires a lot of globally-minded, creative talent. I have great expectation for the roles young, overseas Koreans will play.”

She also promised to try to forge a mechanism for co-prosperity and cooperation between ethnic Korean businessmen overseas and small and medium-sized companies at home.

She welcomed the New York-based Korean business community’s offer to promote exchanges with Korean SMEs to help them venture into the U.S. and other overseas markets.

On Monday, Park met with U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in the U.N. headquarters and shared views on mutual issues including the security tensions on the Korean Peninsula and global challenges. It was followed by Park meeting with South Korean employees of the U.N. to praise their roles.

Meanwhile, Park kept both her departure and welcoming events, respectively held in Seoul and New York, simple with only a minimum number of officials seeing her off and arriving.

Sources said Park will receive an official welcome by U.S. officials in Washington, D.C., her formal destination on Monday, local time.

While most of her fast-paced, six-day schedule is structured to be efficient, Park will be attending a relatively more elaborate event on Tuesday (Wednesday Korean time), when a dinner commemorating the 60th anniversary of the South Korea-U.S. alliance will be held at the Smithsonian museum. The event will invite a number of prominent American figures that have contributed to the growth of South Korea since the Korean War in 1950-53.

“Considering President Park’s style that does not like ostentatious events, it is expected to be a rather unconventional event (for Park),” Ju said at a press briefing.

The dinner will be held at a space located within Kogod Courtyard at the museum which, coincidently, is currently showing a special exhibition commemorating the birthday of world renowned Korean artist Nam June Paik.

Korean War veterans, employees of the U.S. Forces Korea, members of the Peace Corps, and representative figures of U.S. politics and business will be among some 500 participants, Ju said.

In Washington, Park will be staying at the Blair House, an official house provided to guests by the U.S. government. Cheong Wa Dae officials explained that Park’s late father President Park Chung-hee also stayed at the residence during his visit in 1965 and that the stay is meaningful for symbolizing the connection between the past and the future of the Korea-U.S. alliance.

By Lee Joo-hee, Korea Herald correspondent
(jhl@heraldcorp.com)