S. Korea's Kim to make state visit

JAKARTA (JP): South Korean President Kim Young-sam is expected to arrive Saturday afternoon for a two-day state visit before attending the APEC Economic Leaders Meeting in Bogor next Tuesday.

President Kim and his entourage, which include a number of businessmen, will arrive here from Manila after making a state visit to the Philippines.

The South Korean embassy announced yesterday that President Kim, who took office in February, 1993, will proceed to Australia following the APEC leaders meeting.

Press Attache Bong-Hyup Chung said Kim has also scheduled separate bilateral meetings with other APEC members' leaders, including the United States, Japan, China and Canada, during his visit to Indonesia.

South Korea is now Indonesia's fourth largest trading partner with an annual two-way trade reaching US$5 billion and is the sixth largest foreign investor with total commitments of $3.6 billion.

Korea sees its role as bridge between the developed and developing countries because while its economy is advanced enough to assimilate the latest technology and to develop innovative cutting-edge technologies it also is eager to share its developmental experience with the developing nations.

Korea, known as the newly-industrializing country, with a per capita income of $7,500, has been very active in promoting the APEC process since its launch in November 1989.

In fact, the idea of APEC was first introduced in the South Korean capital of Seoul in January, 1989 by the then Australian Prime Minister Bob Hawke.

Seoul's vigorous diplomacy also played a crucial role in facilitating the smooth admission of three economies-- Chinese Taipei, China and Hong Kong-- into APEC during its third ministerial meeting in Seoul in 1991.

Two other leaders of APEC members will make state visits after attending the Bogor meeting-- U.S. President Bill Clinton on Wednesday and China's President Jiang Zemin on Thursday. (vin)