S. Korea to expand contributions to Asian community: official

SEOUL, May 15 (Yonhap) -- South Korea will step up efforts to support Asian neighbors' development as a way to repay assistance from the international community in recent decades, a senior government official said Friday.

Vice Foreign Minister Kwon Jong-rak stressed that Seoul's cooperation with other
Asian nations is crucial to regional peace and stability.
"South Korea's development in the past decades was achieved thanks to the
international community's aid. I think it is time for us to actively contribute
to the development of the Asian region," Kwon said in his keynote speech at the
opening of the two-day ASEAN Forum on Jeju Island.
The forum, attended by government officials and civilian experts from South Korea
and Southeast Asian nations, is aimed at preparing for a special summit between
the two sides to be held on the southern resort island from June 1-2.
The summit will set the stage for a meeting between President Lee Myung-bak and
his counterparts from Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar,
Thailand, the Philippines, Singapore and Vietnam.
"It will provide an opportunity for South Korea to review its relations with
ASEAN and set the direction for future ties," Kwon said.
During his tour of Australia, New Zealand, and Indonesia in early March, Lee
announced a new blueprint for South Korea's Asia diplomacy revolving around its
ambitious plan to play a bigger role in regional affairs and bolster cooperation
with Asian partners.
The vice foreign minister said that South Korea plans to sign a free trade
agreement (FTA) on investment with ASEAN on the sidelines of the forthcoming
summit. Their FTA on merchandise and services has already taken effect.
South Korea's trade with Asia amounted to US$413.8 billion in 2008, 48 percent of
its total trade volume for the year.
lcd@yna.co.kr
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