SEOUL -- South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun is scheduled to leave Seoul Sunday to attend a meeting of the Association of Southeast Asia Nations in Laos. During the ASEAN Roh reportedly plans to seek resolution of the North Korean nuclear crisis.
The ASEAN summit involves the leaders of the organization's 10 member, as well as visiting leaders from Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand and South Korea. Roh then is to visit Britain, Poland and France, the Korean Times reported Saturday.
The South Korean leader's 11-day journey is aimed at resolving economic issues and gaining international support for an early resumption the talks over Pyongyang's nuclear arms programs.
North Korea, the United States, South Korea, China, Japan and Russia have met three times since the nuclear dispute emerged in October 2002, but the talks have proved non-productive.
On the sidelines of the ASEAN summit, Roh will have a three-way summit with the leaders of China and Japan to discuss the nuclear issue and ways of improving tripartite cooperation, the Times said.
