S. Korea urged to fund reunification

U.S. Ambassador to Korea Steven Bosworth said on September 7 that with the speedup of inter-Korean peace and cooperation, the structural overhaul of the Korean economy is imperative.

Bosworth added that even should the International Monetary Fund take the brunt of the financial support responsibility, it would not be enough and the greater responsibility will fall on the South.

The ambassador attended the Northeast Asia 2000 Forum cosponsored by the International Economic Research Institute and Brookings Research Institute held at the Shilla Hotel in Seoul. At the forum, Bosworth said in his address that should North Korea throw open its doors, the South Korean government and people will have to take a greater responsibility financially, and as such, there is an imperative need for economic restructuring.

Kim Young-Sik spear@donga.com