Michelle Landry (Capricornia, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

I seek leave from the House to speak on the report of the parliamentary delegation to the Republic of Korea and Japan, particularly about the Republic of Korea.

Leave granted.

As one of the delegates, I can confirm this was an educational experience and one that, in the range of small ways, I hope may have helped bring our great nations closer together. The purpose of the visit was to sustain and strengthen social ties and discuss issues of mutual benefit and importance to Australia and Korea. By chance, our delegates to Korea were all women, which provided a unique opportunity to discuss female representation at both parliamentary and business levels in each country. While 31 per cent of Australia's parliamentary representatives are women, female representation in the Korean parliament sits at just 18 per cent. While this is slowly improving, women were not historically involved in hard-hitting political and economic issues but tended to be overrepresented in soft social issues relating to health and education.

We met with business representatives from both Australia and Korea and heard a lot about the challenges with business in both countries. The Korea-Australia Free Trade Agreement has assisted to increase and normalise trade between both countries. A tour of a popular Korean supermarket revealed the sales of fresh Australian fruit, vegetables, wine and beef. Coming from the undisputed beef capital of Australia, I was interested to see that they sold beef by the 100 grams as it is classed as a luxury item. We also visited the Hanwha Q CELLS facility, which manufactures solar panels. It was a real eye-opener to learn about the 16-step process, which is nearly totally automated. Hanwha have recently grown by establishing an operation in Sydney, further strengthening our trade bonds with South Korea.

The delegation had the opportunity to visit Sejong City, the smart, safe and happy city. Sejong is an innovative, high-technology city of the future located approximately 113 kilometres from Seoul. Construction of this city began in 2012 and expects to be completed by 2030 at a cost of AU$156 billion. The city is expected to reach a population of 500,000 on completion. Everything about this new city is about technology, from in-home waste recycling to an extensive safety- and traffic-monitoring system. The idea of Sejong City is to decrease the population in Seoul by providing an exciting and legitimate alternative community for thousands of young Koreans.

The geopolitical stability of the Korean Peninsula was, of course, a major topic of conversation during our visit. Visiting the Korean Demilitarized Zone, or the DMZ, provided a stark reminder of the tension and weight of prolonged antagonism. Walking the tunnel between North and South Korea—originally a North Korean tool of invasion—one could hardly be more thankful to live in a free and peaceful society. The area is a tourism hotspot for Korea, with thousands visiting each year. I was particularly intrigued to hear about the tax-exempt lives of residents near the border, a special incentive to keep the area populated. Families on each side of this political boundary are unfortunate victims of this ongoing state of the war. Great sadness occupies a large section of the community's psyche. Some families have been separated from loved ones for decades, some since the 1950s. Apart from a few brief reunions, these families remain separated and sorrowful—a sad and constant reminder of the silent victims of conflict.

To travel with this delegation has been a thoroughly engaging and enjoyable opportunity. To increase my understanding of the trade, culture and politics of these two unique and important partners to Australia is truly valuable. I wish to thank the secretariat, my colleagues and all the wonderful people in South Korea and Japan who helped make this experience possible.

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