S. Korean president heads to U.S. for U.N., G20 summits

By Byun Duk-kun
SEOUL, Sept. 20 (Yonhap) -- South Korean President Lee Myung-bak embarked on a
7-day trip to the United States on Sunday to attend the general assembly of the
United Nations and the G-20 Economic Summit, where he will also hold bilateral
talks with his counterparts from Japan and other countries.
Lee's trip will begin at the United Nations, where U.N. Secretary General Ban
Ki-moon is expected to seek support for a major breakthrough ahead of an upcoming
U.N. conference on climate change. Ban is hoping that member countries will reach
agreement on bold new measures to cut greenhouse gas emissions at the conference
slated for December in Copenhagen.
"The trip is expected to help significantly strengthen our cooperation with the
international community as President Lee will reaffirm the country's commitment
to green growth and explain its firm stance and policy on the North Korean
nuclear issue," Cheong Wa Dae spokeswoman Kim Eun-hye said.
Lee and Ban are set to hold a bilateral meeting Monday (local time).
The trip marks Lee's first official visit to the United Nations since coming into
office early last year. He is set to give a keynote speech at the U.N. General
Assembly on Wednesday.
"As his first official visit to the United Nations, President Lee's attendance at
the U.N. General Assembly will be an opportunity to explain our
contribution-oriented diplomatic efforts to the international community," Kim
said.
Later Wednesday, Lee will hold his first bilateral summit with Japan's new Prime
Minister Yukio Hatoyama, according to Cheong Wa Dae.
Hatoyama last met the South Korean president in June during his trip to Seoul as
head of the then main opposition Democratic Party of Japan. He was named the
prime minister last week after his party defeated the long-governing Liberal
Democratic Party in August's general elections.
Lee and leaders of the world's 20 major economies, including Hatoyama and U.S.
President Barack Obama, will gather in Pittsburgh from Thursday for the G-20
Economic Summit.
Seoul is seeking to host the fifth meeting of the G-20 early next year when it
assumes the chairmanship of the forum.
Lee will also meet with Korean residents and Korea-related organizations, such as
the Korea Society and the U.S. Council on Foreign Relations, throughout his trip.
He will return home on Saturday.
bdk@yna.co.kr
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