S. Korean president seeks to promote free trade at APEC summit

By Byun Duk-kun
SINGAPORE, Nov. 14 (Yonhap) -- South Korean President Lee Myung-bak will attend
the annual summit of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Saturday,
focusing on promoting free trade and increased international cooperation to fight
the prolonged global economic crisis.

The two-day summit will start with a state lunch hosted by Singapore's Prime
Minister Lee Hsien Loong for the participating leaders from around the
Asian-Pacific rim.
"At the summit, President Lee will work to bring together APEC and the G-20
economic summit as South Korea will chair the G-20 forum in 2010," Kim Eun-hye, a
spokeswoman for Seoul's presidential office Cheong Wa Dae, told reporters.
The G-20 summit has one less member than the 21-nation APEC, but it has been
named the premier forum for international economic cooperation, as its member
countries account for over 80 percent of world gross domestic product (GDP). APEC
states makes up about 53 percent of world GDP.
Lee was to urge APEC economies to freeze or roll back any new trade protectionist
measures introduced since the economic crisis unfolded late last year, a key
agreement of the G-20 forum.
Lee and the Singaporean prime minister agreed Friday in a bilateral summit to
"make joint efforts to promote the key agreements from the G-20 summit" at this
week's APEC forum.
Lee will help wrap up the first session of the APEC leaders' meeting, known as
the Retreat, at the request of the Singaporean prime minister, according to the
Cheong Wa Dae spokeswoman.
The leaders will meet again on Sunday to discuss their joint statement to be
issued at the end of the summit.
The South Korean president is scheduled to hold a series of bilateral talks on
the sidelines of the regional forum before returning home Sunday.
bdk@yna.co.kr
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