Taiwan is a multiethnic country and there is no issue of ethnic identity aside from whether or not one identifies with this land, President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) said yesterday.
"Despite diverse ethnicity, a country is a single unit. Regardless of what national name one identifies oneself with in their heart -- be it Taiwan or Republic of China [ROC] -- a national title is only a symbol," Chen said.
"The most important thing is whether you harbor feelings toward the land and identify yourself with the land," he said.
Chen made the remarks yesterday while receiving Kim Young-oak (金容沃), a South Korean academic, at the Presidential Office.
"Whether the official name of the nation is ROC or Taiwan, `democracy, peace and defending Taiwan' is a common language, and the greatest common denominator for the 23 million people who live on this soil," the president told his guest, who is an expert in Chinese philosophy.
"Zeal for democracy, a yearning for peace and a determination to safeguard Taiwan are what closely unite the 23 million of Taiwan," Chen added.
Expressing his delight at meeting Kim, Chen said he remembered the last time he spoke with Kim, in Aug. 2003. Kim had predicted that Chen would be re-elected in last year's presidential election.
"[Kim's remarks] then drew criticism from my opponent, who berated professor Kim as a monk from South Korea who fabricates stories. But the prediction was later proven true," Chen said. "Those people failed to recognize a great person, and called a world-class philosopher a mere Korean monk."
Kim holds a doctoral degree from Harvard University in comparative philosophy and founded the Korean Institute for Classical Studies in Seoul. He is known in South Korea for his versatility.
Kim has also been called "The King Maker" because of his election campaign strategies that helped South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun get elected two years ago. Kim is currently serving as one of Roh's key advisers.
Kim told Chen that he wishes to gain a deeper understanding of Taiwanese and Hakka cultures during his visit in Taiwan.
In Taiwan on an eight-day visit, Kim was invited by the Council of Cultural Affairs to tour the nation. He will travel to Taitung to see local Aboriginal tribes.
Kim will also visit Kaohsiung and Tainan and meet artists and cultural figures.
Kim plans to make a documentary series of the Korean independence movement during his trip. He will visit the Chinese Nationalist Party's (KMT) archives and Academia Historica to collect documents about the movement.
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