South Korea's President Park Geun-hye delivers an
address at Tsinghua University during her state visit to China in Beijing June
29, 2013. [Xu Jingxing/China Daily]
The visiting Republic of Korea President Park Geun-hye told of her teenage
experiences in a speech to students at Tsinghua University on Saturday and
encouraged them to overcome life's difficulties.
She said it was her
dream to become an outstanding electronics engineer, until her mother was killed
in 1974. Five years later, her father was also killed.
She said the
sorrow and suffering of this time nearly killed her, but she overcame her
difficulties by finding solace in Chinese philosophy and literary
classics.
"I wrote down those words of wisdom and reread them every now
and then. By doing so I regained inner peace and found value in life," Park
said.
She said the most unforgettable words for her were those of Zhuge
Liang, a chancellor of the Shu Kingdom during the Three Kingdoms (AD 220-280)
period, who is considered to be one of the country's wisest advisors: "One can't
show high ideals without simple living; one can't have lofty aspirations without
a peaceful state of mind."
Park added willpower and sincerity were also
important values.
When asked what were the attributes of a successful
female politician, she answered that willpower was vital for women to realize
their dreams.
"Some women may give up their dreams when they get married,
but I think strengthening the will and making more effort is the way for females
to realize their dreams," Park said.
"No matter how deep the pain,
depression will only make you stronger, as long as you can treat difficulties as
your friends and see sincerity as a lighthouse to move forward in your
life."
She told students not to give up when faced with difficulties and
make every day full of hope and dreams.
Liu Zehua, a 26-year-old student
majoring in law at Tsinghua University, said Park's words inspired
him.
"Park gave us good examples of her own experiences. We should learn
from her fearlessness and setbacks in life," he said.
Park made both her
opening remarks and ended her speech in fluent Chinese, quoting from the
classics of Chinese literature.
She also urged students from China and
South Korea to deepen understanding between the two countries and further
improve ties through cultural exchanges.
There are about 1,400 South
Korean students at the university.
Xin Long, a 22-year-old majoring in
physics and also president of the Tsinghua University student union, said the
student body had engaged in a number of cultural exchanges and activities to
deepen understanding.
"We can make friends with South Korean youth, let
these friendships benefit bilateral relations and even boost the prosperity of
East Asia in the next 20 years," he said.
（Editor：HuangJin、Liang Jun）
