Presidential Spokesperson Lee Dong-kwan made the following remarks in a briefing this evening.

President Lee Myung-bak met with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon at Cheong Wa Dae for an hour from 4 o’clock this afternoon.

At the meeting, President Lee said, “I welcome you wholeheartedly on your first visit to Korea since your inauguration. The Korean people are proud of you and place high hopes on you.” He went on to say, “At the expanded G8 Summit Meeting scheduled for next week in Toyako, I will engage in discussions on climate change, in which you have had a strong interest.”

In connection with the issue of climate change, President Lee noted, “Korea lags behind advanced countries in terms of technology, but the country is ahead of developingcountries. At the upcoming G8 Summit, I will suggest that Korea is willing to be a bridge linking developing nations and advanced countries.” He continued to say, “The Government will strive to come up with a concrete goal of reduction in carbon emission by the end of next year.”

In response, Secretary-General Ban said, “The G8 Summit this year has added significance in terms of the need to address environmental issues. In particular, the Republic’s first participation in the summit symbolizes the elevated status of Korea. If you exert leadership on this occasion, it would greatly help in creating a better atmosphere at home and in the global community.”

President Lee and Secretary-General Ban discussed plans to upgrade the Republic’s substantive role and contributions by expanding Official Development Assistance (ODA) and Peacekeeping Operations (PKO) through multilateral entities such as the United Nations.

Regarding Korea’s participation in PKOs, the UN chief remarked, “The international community pins a high level of expectation on the contributions of the well-trained Korean troops, who exhibit a strong sense of duty.”

Touching on the North Korean nuclear issue, Secretary-General Ban said, “Inter-Korean relations, including the resolution of the North Korean nuclear problems, have recently shown smooth progress thanks to the Six-Party Talks. Consequently, the issue of the Korean Peninsula has recently been pushed aside from the list of top priorities of the United Nations. In particular, following your inauguration, the North Korean nuclear issue is moving in a positive direction with countries concerned playing active roles, which augurs well for the nation.”

The UN chief added, “After your inauguration, the cooperative relations between Korea, China and Japan have been improved more than before, and I think this is the result of your practical diplomacy.”

The Korean head of state commented on the rising oil prices and global economy as follows: “I think oil producing nations should hold talks with other nations, particularly major oil-consuming nations. If the situation goes on like this, the world economic problems will become even more serious. If any country’s economy were devastated, it would adversely affect world peace. I hope the UN will demonstrate leadership and provide an arena for international dialogue. Korea’s grain assistance for North Korea is bound to be reduced as international prices increase.”

In addition, the President said, “Through hard work, Korea has come a long way from the days of poverty. I firmly believe that the country must actively help developing and other countries that have poor economies. It is our duty to transfer our know-how to them.” The UN Secretary-General responded by saying, “Many developing countries are very keen on learning from you, Mr. President. You have been a legendary figure in the process of Korea’s rapid growth in recent decades. I hope Korea will pay special attention to strengthening cooperation with African countries in particular.”