S. Korean PM to pledge participation in global issues in U.N. speech

By Kim Boram
SEOUL, Sept. 22 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's prime minister will promise his country's cooperation in global efforts to solve poverty and famine when he addresses a meeting of the United Nations in New York this week, aides said Monday.

Prime Minister Han Seung-soo is set to make a keynote speech at the U.N. General
Assembly on the U.N.'s Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which are focused on
tackling a range of international issues, from food shortages and global
warming to North Korea's nuclear programs and inter-Korean relations, officials
said.
"Prime Minister Han will promise the government's readiness to participate in the
MDGs and introduce Seoul's 'low carbon, green growth' plan," said Baik Joo-hyun,
an aide to Han.
This year marks the mid-point of the U.N. MDGs, which aim to cut poverty in half
by 2015. Unveiled in 2000 and endorsed by 189 U.N. member nations and over 23
international organizations, the goals include fighting epidemic diseases and
promoting gender equality.
Han left Seoul Monday for a five-day trip to New York, during which he will meet
with his counterparts from U.N. member states as well as U.N. Secretary-General
Ban Ki-moon and the incoming president of the General Assembly, Miguel D'Escoto
Brockmann.
Han's schedule also includes discussions with Korean and U.S. business
representatives regarding a bilateral free trade agreement, officials said.
Seoul's Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan left on Sunday for the U.N. assembly and
will discuss Pyongyang's recent move to restore its nuclear facilities with U.S.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice as well as his Chinese and Russian
counterparts.
Yu also plans to confer with Rice on a government-supported internship program
for Koreans traveling to the United States.
brk@yna.co.kr
(END)