ARIRANG NEWS 14:00
It′s 2 in the afternoon on Monday, September 22nd here in Korea. Live from Seoul, I′m Laah Hyun-kyung. The stories making headlines at this hour...
President Park Geun-hye, who′s on a state visit to Canada, will officially sign an already-agreed free trade deal on Monday, local time.
The 17th Incheon Asian Games are very much underway. Korea stands second on the medal rankings after snatching 7 gold medals... following China.
We are exactly 30 days away from this year′s International Telecommunications Union meeting. Industry experts from around the world will gather in Busan to discuss cyber security and policy.
Title: President Park anticipates increased potential for co-prosperity from Korea-Canada FTA
Our top story this afternoon...
President Park Geun-hye is on a state visit to Canada... where she was welcomed by the country′s Governor General.
The highlight of her trip though... will be the signing of a bilateral free trade pact... on Monday, local time.
Our presidential office correspondent Choi You-sun files this report from Ottawa.\
Receiving a warm welcome from the Governor General of Canada, who is the viceroy to Queen Elizabeth the Second, President Park said she hopes the soon-to-be-signed bilateral FTA will maximize the joint potential for co-prosperity and contribute to international peace.
Seoul and Ottawa will sign the trade deal on Monday after President Park and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper′s summit.
The FTA will remove tariffs on 99 percent of traded value in the next 10 years, and it′s expected to raise Korea′s GDP by zero-point-0-4 percent over the same period.
"Our major products are automobiles, auto parts, washing machines and refrigerators. The six to eight-percent tariffs will be removed within the next three years."
With the latest pact, Korean automakers hope to beat out their Japanese rivals in Canada, its fifth-largest import market.
The deal will help Korea diversify its exports and usher in more investment from Canadian businesses.
Seoul, meanwhile, has exempted nearly one-fifth of sensitive agricultural goods, such as rice and earmarked two billion U.S. dollars to help Korean agriculture and livestock industries stay competitive, both at home and abroad.
"Keeping momentum from the trade pact, Korea hopes to expand cooperation with Canada in the areas of energy, science and Arctic studies. The FTA, after it′s signed on Monday will be sent for parliamentary approval in both countries.
Choi You-sun, Arirang News, Ottawa."
Title: Ban Ki-moon to meet North Korea Foreign Minister Ri Su-yong
This year′s UN General Assembly is on-going in New York... where UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon is scheduled to hold bilateral talks... with more than one hundred world leaders on the sidelines over the coming days.
Among them will be North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Su-yong .
The UN says... Ri will sit down with Ban this coming Saturday that′s Sep
