Roh is to Participate in ASEAN Plus Three Talks

President Roh Moo-hyun will depart the nation on Oct. 6 for Bali, Indonesia to participate in the 7th summit talks of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) plus three countries-South Korea, Japan and China-and Korea-ASEAN summit talks, scheduled for Oct. 7-8, presidential spokesman Yoon Tai-young said on Sept. 28.

Roh is to stress that the Korean government will actively do its part to establish a peaceful and prosperous East Asian community and support the coordination process among ASEAN members during the ASEAN plus three summit talks, slated for Oct. 7.

Roh will show his position that ASEAN plus three nations should implement cooperation projects stated in a report of the East Asia Study Group (EASG), initiated by the Korean government, Ban Ki-moon, presidential advisor for foreign policy, said.

In a separate summit meeting on Oct. 7 morning President Roh, Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and Chinese premier Wen Jiabao are scheduled to issue guidelines on comprehensive cooperation among the three nations.

Meanwhile, according to a Sept. 28 report by the Nihon Keizai Shimbun (The Japanese Economic Newspaper), the three nations are to issue a joint statement to urge for economic cooperation, which is aimed at the establishment of a free trade area, and resolution of the North Korea nuclear standoff next month.

Jeong-Hun Kim Hun-Joo Cho jnghn@donga.com hanscho@donga.com