S. Korean leader heads home after G-20 economic summit

By Byun Duk-kun
PITTSBURGH, Pennsylvania, Sept. 25 (Yonhap) -- South Korean President Lee
Myung-bak headed home Friday after a two-day economic summit of 20 advanced and
developing economies that called for continued measures to tackle the global
financial crisis.

Lee's departure marked the end of his six-day visit that included his first
attendance of the U.N. General Assembly in New York.
The South Korean leader sought to take the initiative in addressing the global
issue of water shortage and other water-related problems in his U.N. address.
"Today, close to half of the world's population suffers from water shortages, and
most climate change-related natural disasters, including inundation, drought and
sea-level rises, are water-related disasters," he said. "The provision of fresh
water and the development of policies and infrastructure for inundation and
disaster prevention are the most pressing issues at hand."
At the G-20, with the decision to institutionalize the economic conference
launched late last year in the face of an unfolding global economic crisis, the
leaders agreed to hold their fourth meeting in Canada in June, followed by a
fifth gathering in South Korea in November.
At a joint press conference in the U.S. city earlier Friday, Lee and Canadian
Prime Minister Stephen Harper noted the upcoming meetings will mark the
conference becoming permanent.
"As the summit joint communique says itself, next year, the G-20 summit will be
the premier economic summit," Harper told the conference, referring to a joint
statement of G-20 leaders issued at the end of their conference here.
The South Korean president was scheduled to arrive home late Saturday (local time).
bdk@yna.co.kr
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