VATICAN CITY, 6 (NE) Pope John Paul II encouraged on Saturday peace and reconciliation between North and South Korea. During his address to South Korean President Kim Dae-Jung, the Holy Father expressed his joy for the "fresh initiatives to foster inter-Korean dialogue". "Certainly," the Pope said, "the path of reconciliation will be long and difficult. Yet despite the obstacles, you have not allowed yourselves to become discouraged in your endeavors to establish a climate of good and harmonious relations."

    The Holy Father also called to a special concern for the individual, stressing that "the most valuable asset of the nation is its people. Productivity and profit cannot be the sole measure of progress; indeed development is not authentic unless it benefits individuals and the promotion of the good of the family, the nation and the world community." A failure to recognize "the existence of transcendent truth, in obedience to which man achieves his full identity," the Pope further said, "undermines the principles guaranteeing just relations between peoples and can lead to the rise of various forms of totalitarianism."

    Concluding his address, the Pope encouraged the "efforts to promote social renewal and reconciliation among all the members of the Korean family. I pray that the Korean people will safeguard those spiritual values and qualities of character which sustain freedom, dignity and truth, and provide a sure direction for the future. May the Republic of Korea prosper on the path of genuine progress and true peace."