Mr Roh's emphasis on such global inequities would mark the second time in less than three weeks that Mr Bush has heard an airing of international complaints about the dark side of globalisation. During a meeting in South America earlier this month, Mr Bush faced broad opposition to his desire for a free trade area across the western hemisphere.
In particular the Venezuelan president, Hugo Chavez, berated the US and other rich nations for unfairly benefiting from globalisation. Mr Chavez said developing nations had sunk deeper into poverty while trying to adopt broader free market principles.
South Korea has become a powerhouse through its manufacturing and exports of electronics, cars and heavy machinery. But Mr Roh has emerged as a leading supporter of those left behind by globalisation - particularly in his own country.
Meeting with reporters ahead of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) summit in Pusan, Mr Roh cautioned against the tendency to promote business at the expense of social conditions. "The more you emphasise the business-friendly environment, the more the social gap tends to widen and the poor tend to be excluded from the market," Mr Roh said. He did not elaborate on the contents of his proposal, and his aides said the specifics were still being drafted.
Mr Roh, meanwhile, issued subtle warnings last week to both Japan and China, which are disputing oil drilling rights in the East China Sea. He suggested they should find a way to coexist for the sake of peace and prosperity in northeast Asia. He noted that the Korean Peninsula had historically been the battleground when China and Japan collide and said his administration was striving to promote "reconciliation" in the region. Washington Post
