S. Korea's Kim to push for Pyongyang's APEC involvement

Asian Economic News, Nov 13, 2000

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, Nov. 10 Kyodo

South Korean President Kim Dae Jung will push to have North Korea participate as a guest in the activities of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum during his talks with world leaders here, a South Korean official told reporters Friday.

Kim, who will attend the APEC summit meeting in Brunei's capital Wednesday and Thursday, is expected to lobby for North Korea's involvement in the activities during his planned bilateral meetings with leaders from the United States, Japan and other countries, said Lee Ki Bum, deputy director for APEC in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

The proposal might also be mentioned during the leaders' summit, he said.

APEC allows nonmembers to take part in some of the forum's activities as guests.

''We hope to involve North Korea in APEC activities as a guest. It is part of President Kim's engagement policy to engage North Korea in international fora. It would be quite helpful to lower the tension and improve inter-Korean relations,'' Lee said.

In addition, he said that having the North Koreans first take part in APEC under the guest status ''would help their future application for membership.''

South Korea is hoping the North will participate in areas such as economic and technical cooperation, human resource development, science and technology, and fisheries and energy.

Lee said North Korea has not given any official response to the proposal, and he declined to comment whether any overtures at the informal level had been made.

APEC imposed a 10-year moratorium for new memberships at its summit meeting in Vancouver in 1997.

The South Korean president won the 2000 Nobel Peace Prize for his work for democracy and human rights in South Korea and East Asia and for peace and reconciliation with North Korea.