S. Korean president to call for freer trade at G-20 summit

By Byun Duk-kun
SEOUL, March 26 (Yonhap) -- South Korean President Lee Myung-bak will urge the
world's largest economies to shun protectionist measures and lower their trade
barriers at the G-20 summit in London next week, Seoul's presidential office said
Thursday.
Lee will also hold a series of bilateral meetings with other heads of state on
the sidelines of the summit as he tries to convince them to adopt a "stand-still"
policy on protectionist practices in trade, it said.
"At the upcoming G-20 summit, President Lee plans to stress the need to
coordinate the countries' macroeconomic policies to overcome the global financial
crisis and revive the world economy while sharing the country's experience in
dealing with bad financial assets during the 1997 Asian financial crisis," the
presidential office Cheong Wa Dae said in a press release.
Lee will depart Tuesday for a three-day visit. He will return Saturday.
The international forum will also provide the venue for Lee's first official
summit with his U.S. counterpart Barack Obama as communist North Korea is
preparing to test-fire a rocket early next month.
"President Lee will hold his first summit April 2 with U.S. President Obama for
discussions on cooperation in overcoming the financial crisis and in other areas,
including strengthening of the Korea-U.S. alliance and the North's nuclear and
missile issues," the statement said.
He is also set to hold bilateral talks with Chinese President Hu Jintao and
Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd during his trip there. He may also meet with
other heads of state, including Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso, according to
the Cheong Wa Dae.
bdk@yna.co.kr
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