I am an editorial writer at The Korea Times, focusing on foreign policy, North Korea and domestic politics. My key areas of interest include North Korea, foreign interference in elections, election integrity, cyberattacks and human rights. Prior to joining the Editorial Board, I served as both Politics Desk editor and Culture Desk editor. During my career, I have reported on the Presidential Office under the Lee Myung-bak administration, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the National Assembly.
President Lee to hold 27 summits
By Kang Hyun-kyung
President Lee Myung-bak will hold summits with the leaders of 25 countries, including the United States, on the sidelines of the Seoul Nuclear Security Summit to be held on March 26 and 27.
Lee will also have a summit with U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and the leader of the European Union.
A total of 58 leaders of nations and international institutions, including 45 heads of state, will visit Korea from this weekend for the global gathering to be held at the COEX in southern Seoul.
Visiting leaders include U.S. President Barack Obama, Chinese President Hu Jintao, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda, EU President Herman Van Rompuy, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Prime Minister of Thailand Yingluck Shinawatra.
Several heads of international institutions, including U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, will also attend the summit to discuss ways to prevent the transfer of nuclear materials to non-state actors, such as terrorists.
Asking for anonymity, a government official said up to 22 memorandum of understanding in energy and natural resources could be signed. And several business deals worth $4 billion to $12 billion each could be finalized during the talks with some countries, he added.
President Lee will discuss ways to cooperate in civilian nuclear energy with India, Turkey, South Africa, Hungary and Vietnam.
In the talks with Thailand and Indonesia, the water control system will be on the agenda. Thailand was severely damaged last year due to the worst flooding in 50 years; while a river restoration project is underway in Indonesia. South Korea and Indonesia are closely cooperating on the $1trillion project, according to sources.
President Lee will work closely together with the leaders of the United States, China, Russia and the EU to build peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula.
The talks are to be held days after North Korea announced a plan to launch a satellite between April 12 and 16.
The international community characterized the launch as a grave threat to security in the region.
On Monday, President Lee said he would cooperate with the leaders of the United States, China, Japan, Russia and the EU to come up with a coordinated response to the threat posed by the North on the sidelines of the nuclear gathering.
During the summits, President Lee and President Barack Obama will assess issues related to the Korea-U.S. alliance, security of the Korean Peninsula and policy coordination on North Korea. The two leaders will also exchange views on the free trade agreement that went into effect recently to help both sides benefit.
The Korean leader will also discuss ways to bolster trade relations with China, EU, Indonesia, Turkey and Vietnam.
During the summits with Indonesia, Turkey, India, the United Arab Emirates, Vietnam, Thailand and several other countries, cooperation in the defense and energy industry and infrastructure building will top the agenda.
President Lee will also discuss green growth and climate change with the leaders of Denmark, the EU, Chile, Australia and the United Arab Emirates.