S. Korean president heads to G-20 summit in Pittsburgh

By Byun Duk-kun
NEW YORK, Sept. 24 (Yonhap) -- South Korean President Lee Myung-bak left Thursday
for Pittsburgh, where he will attend the G-20 summit Seoul hopes to host next
year.
Lee departed after a five-day visit here for U.N. meetings and a series of
bilateral talks with world leaders.
The third G-20 summit will begin later Thursday with an official dinner hosted by
U.S. President Barack Obama. Leaders from the world's 20 major economies,
including Britain, Japan, China and Australia, are set to hold their first
plenary session early Friday.
The forum was launched late last year in the face of an unfolding financial
crisis to bring together advanced and developing countries to overcome the worst
economic debacle in decades. The G-20 countries currently account for nearly 85
percent of the world's gross domestic product.
President Lee, in a contributed article published earlier this week, emphasized
the usefulness of the G-20 in dealing with global issues effectively.
"It is my sincere hope that the G-20 leaders in Pittsburgh will agree on the
fourth G-20 summit, where a full discussion on post-crisis global economic
management and sustainable and balanced global growth models can take place," he
added.
Several leaders have already expressed support for Seoul's hosting of the G-20.
Chinese President Hu Jintao and Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama publicly
announced their backing in their bilateral summits with Lee held here Wednesday.
The host city of the next G-20 summit will be determined at the meeting in
Pittsburgh on Friday, and South Korea is one of the strongest candidates, a Seoul
official accompanying Lee told reporters earlier.
South Korea assumes the chairmanship of the forum early next year.
bdk@yna.co.kr
(END)