Blue House Is Optimistic About Kim’s Europe Tour

President Kim Dae-jung will visit Europe from Dec. 2 to Dec. 12.

Mr. Kim will speak at a symposium commemorating the centennial of the Nobel Peace Prize, which he was awarded last year, in Oslo, Norway. Twenty of the past recipients of the prize will attend the event.

The president will also visit the United Kingdom, Hungary and France.

On Dec. 11 he will address the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France, a Blue House spokesman said. Mr. Kim will be the first Asian leader to address the European Union body during a plenary session.

The president will meet with British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Prime Minister Viktor Orban of Hungary with an eye to invigorating economic relationships with those countries.

Lee Ki-ho, senior secretary to the president for economic affairs, said, "With this European tour we expect to draw around $10 billion in foreign capital to South Korea. Specifically, it may be possible to secure $3.5 billion in foreign direct investment, $5 billion in orders for cargo ships and $1.5 billion in exports of IT products and strategic IT business partnerships."

Mr. Lee added that he believes the trip could also generate a number of construction contracts for large domestic construction firms and orders for industrial equipment.

by Kim Jin-kook