Korean President Lee Myung-bak on Wednesday (July 9) said that his country will halve its carbon emissions by 2050 and pledged to launch a government-wide campaign to foster a low emission society and new economic growth momentum.

Meeting with leaders of the world's major industrialized nations at an expanded G-8 summit in Toyako, northern Japan, President Lee also proposed the creation of a so-called "East Asia Climate Partnership" in order for Korea and its regional allies to jointly address global climate change.

As part of the campaign, the Korean leader promised to donate $200 million over the next five years to help the region's developing countries both attain economic growth and reduce carbon emission.

Lee also vowed to voluntarily present Korea's long-term targets for greenhouse gas reductions in 2009.

Lee said that Korea will cut its carbon gas emissions in half by 2050 and disclose next year its long-term reduction goals towards the year 2020 to actively pursue 'green growth' and a 'low emission society' to cope with this serious threat to mankind.


The so-called "post-2012" strategy, which refers to global emission reductions after the expiration of the Kyoto Protocol, is the number one item on the agenda at this year's summit of G-8 countries, comprising the U.S., Japan, Germany, France, Britain, Canada, Italy and Russia.

Under the Kyoto Protocol of 1997, Annex I countries, which include Japan and 36 European Union countries, must reduce their aggregate emissions of greenhouse gases by at least 5 percent from 1990 levels during the 2008-2012 period. Korea is a non-Annex I country and is not obliged to make mandatory cuts.

Meanwhile, President Lee Myung-bak on Wednesday (July 9) again urged Japan not to describe Korea's easternmost island of Dokdo as part of Japanese territory in Japanese textbooks, during his meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda on the sidelines of the Group of Eight summit.

Presidential spokesman Lee Dong-kwan said in a media briefing on Wednesday
that Lee met with Fukuda before they attended an expanded G8 summit in Toyako and conveyed the Korean people's serious concern about Japan's move to define Dokdo as part of Japanese territory in guidelines for Japanese middle-school textbooks.

According to the spokesman, President Lee asked his Japanese coutnerpart to carefully handle the Dokdo issue. In response, the Japanese leader said he has full understanding of the South Korean government's position on Dokdo.

Lee arrived in Sapporo on Tuesday for his two-day trip to the expanded G8 summit of major industrialized countries, which has been under way in Toyako, a resort on the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido, since Monday. Toyako is an hour's drive from Sapporo.

Lee and Fukuda held their second summit talks in Tokyo on April 21 for discussions on building future-oriented Korea-Japan relations and a mature partnership based on Lee's pragmatic diplomacy.


Korea, Brazil Agree to Enhance Ties in Energy Resources (July 8, 2008)


Korean President Lee Myung-bak on Tuesday (July 8) asked Brazilian President Luis Inacio Lula da Silva to support Korean firms seeking to make inroads into Brazil's energy and natural resources sectors during their summit talks held in Sapporo, northern Japan, on the sidelines of an expanded G8 summit of major global economies.

President Lee arrived in Sapporo on Tuesday to attend his first G8 summit.

The presidential office Cheong Wa Dae said in a press release that Lee and his Brazilian counterpart noted bilateral trade between their countries has doubled over the past five years and agreed to expand practical mutual cooperation in overall economic and industrial fields.

Lee expressed wishes for closer bilateral cooperation in the energy and natural resources sectors, while Silva welcomed Korean private investment in his country's bio-energy, shipbuilding, aerospace and agricultural sectors, Cheong Wa Dae said in the press release.

It also noted the two leaders agreed to closely cooperate on climate change and other global issues.

Korea and Brazil signed a comprehensive cooperation pact in 2004 and plan to celebrate the 50th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic relations in 2009.

Meanwhile, Korea and India on Tuesday (July 8) agreed to accelerate ongoing negotiations for the conclusion of a bilateral comprehensive economic partnership agreement (CEPA) in a bid to further expand two-way trade, which topped $10 billion in 2007.

Korean President Lee Myung-bak and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, the two leaders reached the agreement during summit talks held in Sapporo on the sidelines of the G8 summit of major industrialized countries.

Accompanied by Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan and senior presidential secretaries for economic and foreign affairs, President Lee arrived in Sapporo earlier on Tuesday to begin his two-day G8 itinerary, which includes his first appearance in an expanded G8 meeting and bilateral summit talks with U.S. President George W. Bush and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.

The presidential office Cheong Wa Dae said in a press release that Lee and Singh agreed to closely cooperate for an early settlement of the two-way CEPA, while expressing satisfaction at the rapidly growing bilateral trade which topped $10 billion in 2007.

The two leaders agreed to establish a regular vice minister-level strategic meeting for discussions on elevating bilateral relations.

Lee also asked Singh to pay closer attention to Korean firms seeking to build steel mills in India, according to Cheong Wa Dae.

By Yoon Sojung


President Lee Attends G8 Summit in Japan (July 7, 2008)

Korean President Lee Myung-bak visits Japan to attend the annual G8 summit of major advanced countries scheduled to be held in Toyako, northern Japan, from July 7-9.

On the sidelines of the summit, Lee is to hold a series of bilateral summit talks with U.S. President George W. Bush, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and leaders of India and Mexico.

The primary agenda of this year's expanded G8 summit will include climate change, oil prices and energy security.

At the summit, Lee will introduce his government's campaign to use climate change as an opportunity to foster a low emission society and new economic growth momentum, while stressing the urgency for the world to cope with climate change.

The presidential office Cheong Wa Dae said Sunday (July 6) that President Lee Myung-bak will leave for Japan on Tuesday to attend the annual G8 summit of major industrialized countries.

Lee will be the first Korean president to participate in the G8 summit set to continue until Wednesday at Toyako, a resort in Hokkaido, northern Japan.

Leaders of the G8 -- the U.S., Japan, Russia, France, Britain, Canada, Italy and Germany -- are to begin their three-day summit on Monday, with global warming and soaring oil and food prices atop the agenda. The G8 summit is expected to focus on global countermeasures against climate change and skyrocketing oil and raw material prices.

Lee, along with leaders of 13 other non-G8 countries -- China, India, Brazil, Mexico, Australia, Indonesia and a group of seven African nations -- have been invited to this year's G8 summit for a more concerted global effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and rein in oil and grain prices.

Cheong Wa Dae said that the leaders attending this year's expanded G8 summit are expected to adopt a joint declaration calling for political countermeasures against climate change, which has emerged as one of the most serious threats to mankind.

On the sidelines of the G8 summit, Lee is to hold a series of bilateral summit talks with U.S. President George W. Bush, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and leaders of India, Brazil, Mexico, Indonesia and Australia.