KOREAN TRADE MINISTER TO ADDRESS ASIA-PACIFIC BUSINESS LEADERS IN KUALA LUMPUR

HONOLULU (March 6, 2002) — The Honorable Hwang Doo-yun, Minister of Trade for the Republic of Korea, will speak at the Pacific Basin Economic Council’s (PBEC) 35th International General Meeting (IGM) in Kuala Lumpur on Monday, May 6, 2002.

Leading business executives, heads of government, and governmental ministers from throughout Asia, the Pacific, and the Americas will gather at this premiere conference to discuss international economic and trade issues. The conference – focusing on the theme of "Striving for Growth in a Challenging Environment" – will be held May 3-7.

Also delivering keynote addresses are The Honorable Dato’ Seri Dr. Mahathir bin Mohamad, Prime Minister of Malaysia, and Her Excellency Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, President of the Philippines.

Minister Hwang is a strong proponent of globalization, and is known for being outspoken on the need to promote the role of developing economies in multilateral economic cooperation. He stresses openness, transparency, and accountability, within the Republic of Korea and in the larger Asia Pacific community.

Minister Hwang was appointed to his position in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade in February 2001. Prior to that he was the President of the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency. Since 1970 he has held several senior positions in the Korean government, as well as a number of prominent positions in the private sector, including Vice Chairman, President, and Chief Operating Officer of the Korean International Trade Association.

An ambitious conference agenda has been developed for the Kuala Lumpur IGM, tackling issues such as: the security dimension of economic growth, new developments in trade and investment liberalization; as well as industry overviews including the biotechnology and financial markets. There will also be breakfast chats with global personalities – ranging from business leaders to media experts to artists – and private, off-the-record Ministerial Roundtables are planned.

PBEC’s International General Meeting is an opportunity for the region’s foremost corporate executives to gather with other international leaders to discuss, in a frank and intimate setting, the key issues in the regional economy, and to publicly issue policy recommendations and statements directed toward such organizations as the WTO and the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC). The IGM typically includes major addresses given by heads of government, governmental ministers, leaders of prominent international organizations, and senior executives of some of the largest corporations in the region.

Last year’s IGM was held in Tokyo and included such notable speakers as Japanese Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori, Malaysian Minister of International Trade and Industry Dato’ Seri Rafidah Aziz, and Korean Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance and Economy Jin Nyum. The Crown Prince and Princess of Japan also attended the opening ceremony.

ABOUT PBEC:

• PBEC is an international association of senior business leaders representing approximately 1,000 major corporations in 20 economies around the Pacific, which account for more than US $4 trillion in global sales and employ more than 10 million people.
• PBEC is a forum through which business leaders create new business relationships, exchange views with government officials, and produce recommendations on key business issues.
• The unprecedented scope of PBEC’s membership constitutes a broad and balanced reservoir of international business knowledge, unmatched in credibility and expertise. PBEC is the independent voice of business in the Pacific.

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Contact:
Steve Olson, Pacific Basin Economic Council
900 Fort Street, Suite 1080
Honolulu, HI 96813 USA
Tel.: +1-808-521-9044/Fax: +1-808-521-8530
E-Mail: steve@pbec.org
Web: http://www.pbec.org