Ex-U.S. President Bush to visit S. Korea

SEOGWIPO, South Korea, July 31 (Yonhap) -- Former U.S. President George W. Bush
was set to arrive Friday in South Korea to speak on the importance of ratifying a
free trade deal between the two nations and the worldwide economic crisis,
organizers said Friday.

Bush was invited as a special speaker at an annual forum organized by the
Federation of Korean Industries (FKI) on the southern island of Jeju from
Wednesday to Saturday, the federation said.
On Saturday, Bush will give a speech about the free trade agreement between South
Korea and the United States, countermeasures against trade protectionism and ways
to respond to North Korea's provocations, it said.
South Korea and the U.S. signed the agreement in 2007 when Bush was in office,
but the deal has yet to be approved by lawmakers in both countries.
In Jeju, Bush was scheduled to meet with chief executives in South Korea and play
golf with them.
At the invitation of Poongsang Group Chairman Ryu Jin, Bush plans to visit the
city of Andong, 268km south of Seoul, on Monday and tour nearby Hahoe Folk
Village, a popular tourist destination for foreigners since 1999 when Britain's
Queen Elizabeth II made a trip there. The village features traditional wooden
structures, costumes, mask dances and exceptionally beautiful scenery.
Ties between the Bush family and the defense company Poongsan go back to November
2005 when George H.W. Bush, father of the former U.S. president, visited the
traditional Korean city.
In Andong, Bush will also give a speech at a high school, founded by Ryu, before
returning home on Tuesday.
(END)