Hillary Clinton to advocate women's rights during Seoul trip

(ATTN: RECASTS lead; UPDATES with ministry spokesman's comments on new ambassador's
plan to greet Clinton in last 5 paras)
By Lee Chi-dong
SEOUL, Feb. 16 (Yonhap) -- U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will emphasize
the need for women's empowerment during her visit to traditionally male-dominated
South Korea later this week, South Korean and U.S. embassy officials said Monday.

Clinton, who led a formidable campaign for the Democratic Party's presidential
nomination, has arranged a meeting with a group of South Korean female college
students despite her tight schedule here, according to the officials.
The secretary has just embarked on a tour of Asia, her first trip abroad as
Washington's top diplomat. She is due to arrive in Seoul on Thursday night for a
24-hour stay after traveling to Japan and Indonesia.
"The sub-theme of her visit here is the empowerment of women, although the South
Korea-U.S. alliance and the North Korean issue will be main agenda items," a
South Korean foreign ministry official said.
Clinton plans to hold a brief meeting with female college students at Ewha Womans
University in Seoul on Friday after talks with Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan, a
joint press conference and a luncheon meeting with President Lee Myung-bak.
"Secretary Clinton will also receive an honorary doctorate from the university,"
the official said.
The U.S. embassy staff in Seoul confirmed Clinton's plan for the event, adding
that she is also likely to give an interview with a female reporter at a major
South Korean daily.
"Secretary Clinton wanted to be interviewed by a female journalist," an embassy
official said.
During her first stop in Tokyo, Clinton has scheduled talks with families of
Japanese citizens kidnapped by North Korean agents decades ago to help train the
country's spies.
She is expected to reach out to the Muslim world during a visit to Indonesia and
to address human rights issue in her trip to China, the officials said.
In a press briefing, meanwhile, foreign ministry spokesman Moon Tae-young said
Seoul's new ambassador to Washington, Han Duck-soo, whose appointment was
formally announced Monday, will greet Clinton when she arrives.
The encounter will provide an opportunity for Han to introduce himself to Clinton
before he formally takes up his post late this month or early next month.
Han was tapped to become Seoul's new top envoy in Washington last month, but the
ministry withheld the appointment due to related diplomatic procedures.
"Amb. Lee Tae-sik is expected to return to South Korea in late February or early
March. When Han will begin his official duty is related to the timing of (Lee's)
return," Moon said.
lcd@yna.co.kr
(END)