S. Korean foreign minister to attend ASEM in Hanoi

SEOUL, May 24 (Yonhap) -- South Korean Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan was to
depart for Vietnam Sunday to attend a high-level forum of the Asia-Europe Meeting
(ASEM), during which he will discuss the North Korean nuclear issue and the
global financial crisis with his regional counterparts, officials said.

Yu is scheduled to deliver a keynote speech during the two-day ASEM foreign
ministerial meeting starting on Monday in Hanoi, where he will share South
Korea's ongoing efforts to resolve the North Korean nuclear situation and help
the world ride out the ongoing financial turmoil, they said.
Senior government officials from a total of 45 Asian and European countries will
participate in the meeting, he added.
ASEM was formed in March 1996 to strengthen cooperation between Asia and Europe.
The group summit of ASEM member countries is held every two years, while the
foreign ministerial meeting takes place in the year when the summit is not held.
odissy@yna.co.kr
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