Seoul to seek global leadership on economic, N.K. issues: FM

SEOUL, Feb. 8 (Yonhap) -- South Korea will actively seek to take the initiative
on global issues, including climate change and the North Korean nuclear standoff,
this year, Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan said Monday, reiterating Seoul's key
policy goals in the foreign affairs.
Addressing an annual meeting of the nation's foreign diplomatic mission chiefs in
Seoul, Yu said that his ministry is determined to upgrade the nation's "status
and dignity" through the successful hosting of the G-20 summit in Seoul in
November.
The minister also said North Korea has not been showing any signs of returning to
the long-stalled six-party talks on removing its nuclear weapons, calling for
closer cooperation among other members of the talks to terminate the North's
nuclear ambition.
"The five other countries except North Korea are continuing their diplomatic
efforts for an early resumption of the six-party talks, but whether or when North
Korea will return to the six-way talks is still unclear," Yu said.
The nuclear talks were last held in December 2008. They involve both Koreas, the
United States, Japan, China and Russia.
"If our diplomatic goal for 2009 was to overcome the economic crisis in hand and
transform the country into a mature nation, our goal in 2010, as seen in the
Seoul meeting of the G-20 forum, will be to raise the dignity and status of the
country," Yu said.
"Instead of just taking part in efforts to deal with global issues, South Korea
is taking active measures to lead such efforts as shown in G-20 meetings and the
(U.N.) conference on climate change held in Copenhagen," the minister added.
Yu said the country will also expand the scope of its diplomacy from the four
major powers of the world, including the United States and China, and its Asian
neighbors to Africa, the Middle East and the European Union to help secure and
strengthen its global leadership.
The first test for the country's leadership will come later in the year when it
hosts the summit of the world's 20 largest and fastest developing economies in
Seoul, the minister noted.
"We must produce specific results through close coordination with other G-20
nations that will help solve the problems facing the world economy. In addition,
we must also work to reflect the voice and interests of the entire world through
close cooperation with regional and international organizations," he told the
annual conference, attended by the chiefs of 117 diplomatic missions abroad.
The conference is largely aimed at informing the mission chiefs of the country's
latest policy and diplomatic goals, and to give them a chance to personally
convey any concerns or requests of their host countries to the government.
The foreign minister called on the mission chiefs to actively support the advance
of South Korean people and businesses to their host nations, noting the country
seeks to send up to 60,000 people under working holiday programs while expanding
its overseas volunteers to 20,000 by 2013.
bdk@yna.co.kr
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