President Park Geun-hye expressed gratitude to the foreign delegations she met throughout the day, for coming all the way to Korea to attend her inauguration.
The first female president of Korea, and high-ranking officials from 18 countries agreed to strengthen their respective bilateral ties and expand cooperation to a variety of other fields during her five-year term in office.
The North Korean nuclear issue was also one of the main topic of conversation.
During her meeting with U.S. National Security Advisor Tom Donilon earlier this morning, President Park, once again, made it clear that Seoul will not tolerate a nuclear North Korea and that the international community, based on the Korea-U.S. alliance, will firmly respond to any provocations.
To this, Donilon stressed that close cooperation between Seoul and Washington is crucial in setting up North Korea policy, including denuclearization.
Later in the day, President Park met with UN Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson, and stressed that the international community should work together to end nuclear threats posed by Pyongyang.
She said that the pattern of provocations and rewards needs to come to an end but added that she will continue her push to restore peace on the Korean Peninsula.
Mr. Eliasson pledged the UN's full support of that vision, and said that he backs President Park's North Korea policy.
The president's second day in office was a busy one.
She also held talks with the governor general of Canada, David Johnston, and former Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda, along with delegations from several European, Central Asian, African and Middle Eastern countries, the vice presidents of Indonesia, Peru and Vietnam, and Australia's Governor-General Quentin Bryce.
Eoh Jin-joo, Arirang News.

Reporter : jjeoh@arirang.co.kr