APEC lives on with fancy dress parade

APEC lives on with fancy dress parade

Agence France-Presse, Busan, South Korea

They wore ponchos in Chile, batik shirts in Indonesia and
Malaysia and satin jackets in China. Now in South Korea world
leaders will smile and try not to look self-conscious in a new
outfit.

The APEC fancy dress parade will live on in Busan, where 21
leaders will be putting aside their differences and posing before
the cameras in unfamiliar costumes on Saturday.

The choice of national costume for the Asia-Pacific Economic
Cooperation (APEC) summit has been a closely guarded secret.

But South Korean organizers announced Wednesday that the 21
leaders will be decked out in silk robes decorated with an
elaborate bow.

The outfit consists of a silk overcoat, or durumagi,
organizers explained, chosen because "it is comfortable but looks
graceful as well."

Bush, Chinese leader Hu Jintao and Russia's Vladimir Putin can
conveniently slip the robe over their business suits, ensuring
they stay warm in the chill Busan autumn air for the outside
photo call.

The coats come in seven different colors and are decorated
with ancient oriental symbols of longevity, an APEC statement
said.

The coat has pockets, a decorative knot which acts as a
button, and a ribbon that comes pre-tied because "it requires
skillful hands and patience to tie properly."

Leaders are allowed to choose in advance which color they
prefer but their choice remains confidential.

"The coats are in pastel hues: gold, brown, silver, dark blue
and light green for men, and pink and purple for women," the
statement said.

They are decorated with elegant symbols, the statement adds,
including "the pine tree, which symbolizes unchanging faith and
loyalty; bamboo, which stands for a wise man's dignity and
fidelity; and clouds, representing freedom."

The South Korean APEC organizers launched a national
competition to find a suitable costume for the leaders and
examined 26 design entries from 14 cities and provinces
nationwide.

It is an established tradition for leaders to don the national
costume of the host nation at a commemorative photo shoot that
ends the annual forum summit.

Sheepishly gritting their teeth and smiling with varying
degrees of embarrassment, they pose in the strange garb after
their sometimes heated exchanges during the summit sessions.