Lee, Obama meeting likely at April G-20: minister

(ATTN: UPDATES with minister's plan to visit Indonesia, his New Year's message)
SEOUL, Jan. 2 (Yonhap) -- South Korean President Lee Myung-bak is expected to
hold his first meeting with incoming U.S. President Barack Obama in London in
early April on the sidelines of the G-20 economic summit, Seoul's foreign
minister said Friday.
"We need to consult with the U.S. on the issue, but President-elect Obama will
likely focus on domestic issues, including the economic crisis, rather than
foreign affairs once he takes office," Yu Myung-hwan told reporters.
The minister declined to predict when he would meet with Hillary Clinton,
nominated to be Obama's secretary of state, citing Washington's schedule for
confirmation hearings.
Yu added that he would soon be heading to Southeast Asia with a planned stop in
Indonesia, a member of the G-20, saying it is time to pay more attention to the
region as he spent much of last year traveling to the four major regional powers
-- the U.S., China, Russia, and Japan. He did not give a date for his planned
trip.
In his New Year's message to ministry officials earlier in the day, Yu asked for
stepped up efforts to help boost the slumping economy.
"All advanced nations are projected to record minus growth amid the economic
recession following the financial crisis," he said. "Our ministry should make
utmost efforts to support the pan-governmental campaign to revive the economy."
On the North Korean nuclear issue, the minister said the six-way talks should be
resumed as early as possible to make substantial progress in the denuclearization
process.
lcd@yna.co.kr
(END)