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Seoul to hold minister-level OECD talks on science next year

April 3, 2014 - 13:33 By 정주원

South Korea's science ministry said Thursday it will host a ministerial-level meeting next year to discuss solutions to environmental pollution and resource shortages, with science ministers and other representatives from OECD member nations set to attend.

The Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning said the two-day meeting of the Committee of Science & Technological Policy at Ministerial Level under the Economic Cooperation and Development, will kick off in Daejeon, 164 kilometers south of Seoul, from Oct. 20, 2015.

The Paris-based organization of advanced countries said that it has decided to designate South Korea as a host country for the meeting, taking into consideration its push for the fusion of science technology and other industries to accomplish its "creative economy" vision.

Around 300 science ministers and other representatives from 34 OECD member countries will visit the event, along with those from 15 observer states such as China, Brazil and India.

Under the theme of "Creating Our Common Future through Science, Technology and Innovation," the event will become the first of its kind in 11 years, after a ministerial-level OECD science meeting held in Paris in 2004.

The representatives will discuss the role of science and technology in finding solutions to global challenges such as the shortage in natural resources and the environmental pollutions, the ministry said.

With South Korea's science minister becoming the chairperson, the ministry added that Seoul will take a leading role at the event, which will lend support in expanding the country's presence in the global science realm. (Yonhap)