President Chen received Lee In-je, a Korean parliament member, this afternoon. The president welcomed the visitor and expressed his hopes that Lee could help him attend, in person, the unofficial leaders' summit of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation held in November of this year.
The president recalled in 1998, during his term as Taipei Mayor, that he and Lee In-je had a productive meeting together. He reminisced about his failed mayoral reelection in 1998 and his eventual presidential victory in both 2000 and 2004, saying that Taiwan has undergone tremendous changes since then, changes similar to those in Korea under the administration of former President Kim Dae Jung and current President Roo Moo-hyun.
The president also spoke of improved relations between Taiwan and Korea, highlighting the positive elements of the two countries granting visa-free privileges for each other's citizens, reestablishing direct-passenger flights and agreeing to reinstate a Taiwan representative office in Pushan. Aside from their renewed friendship, according to the president, bilateral trade between Taiwan and Korea has also increased by 30 percent each year. And with last year's trade peaking at US$16.9 billion, Korea now enjoys a US$6.3 billion trade surplus and is quickly becoming Taiwan's second largest deficit country. Korea is also Taiwan's fifth largest trading partner, fourth largest import country and sixth largest export market. Their close economic partnership has consequently led to a 60 percent jump in the number of Taiwanese and Koreans visiting each other's countries. Last year alone, that number reached 450,000, two-thirds of which were Taiwanese traveling to Korea and one-third were Koreans coming to Taiwan. The president said that restoring direct-passenger flights between Taiwan and Korea not only would be convenient for Taiwan and Korean travelers, but would also promote more direct and close exchanges between the two countries.
President Chen also indicated his desire for Lee In-je to make more of an effort to reestablish a ministerial economic and trade conference between their countries and urged the signing of a Taiwan-Korea free trade agreement. And he again voiced his interest in attending the November Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation unofficial leaders' summit in Pushan, noting the Korean government's role in assisting Taiwan, Hong Kong and China become members of the APEC in 1991. Finally, the president wished for a successful unofficial leaders' summit and hoped President Roo Moo-hyun would be able to help him join the meeting as a leader of Taiwan.
Lee In-je thanked President Chen for meeting with him and said that the Taiwanese president has many supporters in Korea, citing the president's popular book, "Son of Taiwan," a book the Korean parliament member has also read. Lee said that he would be happy if Taiwan and Korea could sign the free trade agreement because it would help promote both country's economic and trade relations. Lee also added that he would be pleased to help President Chen attend the unofficial leaders' summit at the Asia-Pacific Economical Cooperation, an event he believes is significant to ensuring Asia's prosperity and stability.