President Kim off to Brunei to attend APEC

President Kim Dae-Jung leaves for Brunei Monday morning for a 5-day trip to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit and pay a state visit to the sultanate. He will be accompanied by his wife, Lee Hee-Ho.

During the APEC summit in Brunei¡¯s capital, Bandar Seri Begawan, Nov. 15-16, he will discuss with leaders of member countries the acceleration of globalization and multilateral trade, the liberalization of commerce and investment in the region and the promotion of economic and technical cooperation among APEC nations.

President Kim plans to hold separate talks Nov. 15 with four leaders -- U.S. President Bill Clinton, Chinese President Jiang Zemin, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Japanese Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori. Their discussions will center on the progress in inter-Korean rapprochement and bilateral cooperation. Prior to the meetings, Kim is scheduled to meet with Brunei Sultan Hasanal Bolkia for talks on areas of mutual concern, including the timely supply of oil at stable prices.

Choi Young-Mook ymook@donga.com