S. Korea's top diplomat to attend Davos forum next week

SEOUL, Jan. 18 (Yonhap) -- Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha will attend the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, next week to discuss security issues on the Korean Peninsula as well as the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics, the foreign ministry said Thursday.

Kang will join five sessions of the Davos forum, which will run from Jan. 23-26.

The sessions she will join focus on fund raising for the implementation of the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals, sustainable peace building on the Korean Peninsula, as well as other global issues, ministry spokesman Noh Kyu-duk said in a press briefing.

On Jan. 25, Kang will also host a so-called PyeongChang Night on the sidelines of the forum to draw attention to South Korea's hosting of the 2018 Winter Olympics and Paralympics.

She will hold a separate press conference there to brief South Korean and foreign journalists on the Olympics and the results of South Korea's recent talks with North Korea.

"Kang's latest attendance at the forum has been decided upon at the WEF's request," the spokesman said.

The invitation may reflect the international community's interest in the security situation on the peninsula and expectations for South Korea's first female foreign minister, he added.

Following the WEF, on Jan. 26, Kang will start a two-day trip to Rome, Italy, to hold talks with her counterparts from Italy and the Vatican, according to the ministry.

pbr@yna.co.kr
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