President Moon Jae-in takes part in the discussion with leaders of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders Meeting on Nov. 18 in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea. (Yonhap News)
By Park Gil-ja and Yoon Sojung
President Moon Jae-in flew back home on Nov. 18 after wrapping up his itinerary in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea.
He attended the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders Meeting in there and held a series of meetings with participating leaders.
Leaders of 21 member states participated in discussions on this year’s APEC theme “Harnessing inclusive opportunities, embracing the digital future.”
President Moon urged the APEC member states to cooperate in the three areas the Asia-Pacific countries have been focusing on as APEC’s core tasks—inclusiveness, digital economy, and future vision. He particularly concentrated on introducing Seoul’s national vision of an “innovative, inclusive state where all people prosper together.”
“What the Korean government means by being inclusive is that no one should be excluded from society. It should be extended to achieving inclusive growth, inclusive society and inclusive democracy,” he said.
“If we narrow the gap among the APEC member countries and ensure fair opportunities and mutually beneficial cooperation, we will be able to co-prosper and co-develop,” said the president.
President Moon presented the vision of an inclusive state as one of the pioneer cases for the goal of achieving a more inclusive APEC community, one of the issues on the agenda of the APEC leaders’ meetings. He also proposed that the APEC should produce a book of exemplary cases of inclusive policies and forge a joint fund for digital innovation in the region.
Clad in traditional Papua New Guinea costume, President Moon Jae-in and First Lady Kim Jung-sook pose for photos with leaders of the APEC Economic Leaders Meeting and their spouses on Nov. 17 in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea. (Cheong Wa Dae)
While in Port Moresby, President Moon also focused on discussing cooperation for peace by holding a series of summits with the Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea Peter O’Neill, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Australian Prime Minister Scott John Morrison.
In the Korea-China summit, both presidents agreed that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s reciprocal visit to Seoul would serve as a watershed in resolving the issues involving the Korean Peninsula.
Cheong Wa Dae said that, “President Xi Jinping vowed to actively cooperate with Korea for preserving and managing the historic sites of Korea’s independence movement in China to mark the 100th anniversary next year of the establishment of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea.”
krun@korea.kr
