President heads to Thailand for ASEAN summit, meeting with Aso

By Byun Duk-kun
SEOUL, April 10 (Yonhap) -- South Korean President Lee Myung-bak left Friday for
Thailand where he will hold a summit with the 10-member Association of Southeast
Asian Nations (ASEAN) and draw up a plan to jointly fight the financial crisis
that has inflicted serious damage on major economies across the region.
South Korea, Japan and China will join the regional group for what is known as
the ASEAN Plus Three summit on Saturday in Thailand's resort island Pattaya.
"The Thailand meeting will be an opportunity to seek close cooperation with the
ASEAN, China and Japan in efforts to overcome the global financial crisis
following the G-20 economic summit," Kim Eun-hye, a spokeswoman for the South
Korean presidential office Cheong Wa Dae, told reporters.
Lee is set to hold a bilateral summit with Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso on
Saturday, before their three-way talks with Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao on
Sunday, according to the Cheong Wa Dae spokeswoman.
President Lee will explain the outcome of the G-20 summit held in London last
week to the Southeast Asian nations, she said. Korea will chair the economic
forum of the world's 20 major economies next year.
Lee's participation in the ASEAN summit also comes as Seoul seeks to
significantly bolster relations with other Asian nations through its so-called
New Asia Initiative.
"President Lee's first participation in the ASEAN summit is expected to help
strengthen the country's cooperation with the ASEAN and also help shape the New
Asia Initiative," Cheong Wa Dae said in a press release.
Under the new diplomatic initiative, South Korea will pursue free trade deals
with the region's major economies at the earliest possible date to form a network
of economic cooperation and inter-dependency that could provide the basis for a
regional economic bloc.
Seoul has been in negotiations with the ASEAN to complete free trade deals on
merchandise, services, investment and dispute settlement. An agreement on
merchandise took effect last year while a deal on services will be enforced from
next month.
The new diplomatic initiative also calls on Seoul to become the so-called
"Speaker of Asia" by actively promoting the mutual interests of countries in the
region.
Lee will hold a one-on-one meeting with Thailand's Prime Minister Abhisit
Vejiajiva shortly after his arrival there later Friday.
The South Korean president will also drum up support of the Southeast Asian
nations, as well as Japan and China, for his country's efforts to denuclearize
North Korea as his trip comes after the communist nation launched a long-range
rocket on Sunday in what Seoul believes was a provocative missile test.
Leaders of Australia, India and New Zealand will also be in Thailand on Sunday
for a separate regional forum called the East Asia Summit.
Lee will return home Sunday.
bdk@yna.co.kr
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