Lee says Korea will become 'great nation' with G-20 summit

(ATTN: UPDATES with additional remarks, more details)
By Byun Duk-kun
SEOUL, Sept. 30 (Yonhap) -- President Lee Myung-bak called on the country
Wednesday to use the hosting of the G-20 economic summit as an opportunity to
elevate South Korea's status in the international community.
"We are now facing a historic turning point. We must take the opportunity to
upgrade the country's status and advance with the rest of the world by
successfully hosting the G-20 summit," the president said in a special press
conference on the outcome of his recent participation at the third G-20 economic
summit in Pittsburgh.
At the Pittsburgh meeting, the G-20 leaders agreed to hold their fifth forum in
Korea in November 2010.
The president emphasized that great opportunities comes with great responsibilities.
"As our international status rises, our responsibility and duty to the
international community also grows. It is only appropriate that we contribute
more to the international community as a country standing at its center," Lee
told the nationally televised press conference.
Seoul has already vowed to triple its official development aid for developing
countries by 2015 and is annually sending over 3,000 volunteers overseas, the
second largest number of volunteers in the world following that of the United
States.
Lee said his country will actively make proposals on resolving global challenges
at the upcoming summit.
"We are now at a time when we should start offering our own visions and solutions
for not only inter-Korean issues but global issues and take matters into our own
hands," he said, adding his recent proposal for a "grand bargain" with North
Korea on its nuclear program was a part of such efforts.
The deal proposes a complete denuclearization of North Korea in a single step in
exchange for a wide range of incentives, including security guarantees for the
North's communist regime.
"The Republic of Korea is facing an upturn of its fortunes. The chance to become
a leader in the world has come," Lee said.
"Let us turn our hosting of the G-20 summit next year into a chance to clearly
upgrade the status of our nation not only in the economic sector, but also in the
legal, ethical, political and cultural areas," he added.
bdk@yna.co.kr
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