FM says S. Korea will become global leader through G-20, aid

By Byun Duk-kun
SEOUL, Jan. 14 (Yonhap) -- South Korean Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan said on
Thursday his country will become a global leader this year by successfully
hosting the G-20 economic summit and significantly boosting its assistance for
developing nations.
Yu said the country will nearly triple its official development aid (ODA) to
about US$3 billion by 2015.
"We also plan to share our development experience (with developing countries) and
develop our own economic development cooperation model," Yu said in a meeting
with members of the Korean Council on Foreign Relations, a private organization
made up of former South Korean ambassadors and diplomats.
Last year, South Korea became a member of the Development Assistance Committee
(DAC) of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).
"This means our country became the first nation in the world to have ever become
a donor nation from a recipient country," the minister told the meeting.
Seoul will seek to further improve its status and reputation in the international
community by successfully hosting the G-20 economic summit in November, he added.
"The country is closely consulting with other key member nations of G-20,
including the United States, Britain and Canada, to make sure this year's G-20
summit will make significant progress in resolving the many issues facing the
global economy," Yu said.
In addition to hosting the November summit, South Korea will co-host a meeting to
be held in Canada in June as the chair of the economic forum, launched in the
face of an unfolding global economic crisis in late 2008.
The meeting of the world's 20 largest and fastest-growing economies was named the
premier forum for international economic cooperation in September 2009.
bdk@yna.co.kr
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