Under the theme of 'Towards One Community: Meet the Challenge, Make the Change,' the APEC 2005 Summit is scheduled to be held in the port city of Busan this fall. In consultation with the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) member countries, Korea has selected seven priorities for this meeting. The third among these seven priorities is 'Sharing Prosperity of the Knowledge-based Economy,' with a subtheme of 'Protecting Innovation and Expanding Digital Opportunities.' In 2005, APEC will take one step further towards achieving Intellectual Property Right (IPR) protection. A variety of areas will be touched upon, such as piracy, both online and offline. Efforts will be made to build best practices and to enhance capacity-building in the areas of the enforcement of IPR. It is expected some economies will take the lead in hosting capacity-building workshops. As the mid-point target year of the Brunei Goals of tripling Internet use by 2005 and having universal Internet access by 2010, APEC 2005 will once more highlight digital opportunities and explore ways to add more value in this regard. Will showcase Korea's WiBro and DMB Technology As the national leaders of the 21 member countries are participating in the APEC meeting, it is an excellent opportunity for the host country to improve its image and promote corporate PR activities. In particular, as Korea is a leading country in the IT industry, the Preparatory Office for APEC 2005 plans to make good use of this occasion to raise the brand value of Korea as well as Korean enterprises. In view of that, a special exhibition will be held in the second exhibition hall of BEXCO (Busan Exhibition and Convention Center) to showcase Korea's world-class display technology and mobile phone technology. Of particular note, Wireless Broadband Internet (WiBro) and satellite Digital Multimedia Broadcasting (DMB) will be showcased to the APEC meeting participants, so that they may experience Korea's cutting-edge technologies. In addition, many formative arts, which will present beautiful images combining culture with nature, will be installed in the meeting hall and at event venues, so that they may leave a good impression of Korea on the distinguished visitors. IT Exhibition with Diverse Themes There will be a number of exhibition halls depicting Korea's progress in the IT industry, with diverse themes - the elearning hall, e-health hall, and e-trade hall that are related to the APEC discussions, the info-communication hall, robot hall, egovernment hall, digital contents hall, and U-port hall portraying the image of Busan. The leading domestic IT companies such as Samsung Electronics, LG Electronics, Korea Telecom, and SK Telecom will join in these exhibitions to show off their advanced technologies. Meanwhile, in November, the international spotlight will fall on Busan as Korea hosts a two-day summit meeting. About 6,000 guests, including the leaders of APEC's 21 member countries, government representatives, businessmen, and journalists are expected to visit Busan for the summit to be held on November 18 to 19. Hosting such a high-profile international event as the 2005 APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting will be a good opportunity for Korea to showcase its leadership capability to the world and enhance its prestige in the international community. Aiming to increase the prosperity of member economies, APEC is the world's largest regional economic cooperation forum. It represents the most economically dynamic region in the world. Its 21 members account for 57 percent of the world's gross domestic product and 46 percent of its trade. APEC member economies are also Korea's major trading and investment partners, accounting for 70.4 percent of its total trade and 63.3 percent of total foreign investment. In aspects other than the economic front, APEC 2005 carries much significance for Korea, as all members of the six-party talks on the North Korean nuclear issue excluding North Korea will participate in the Summit this November. President Roh Moo-hyun is expected to seek support for ensuring peace on the Korean Peninsula through discussions with the leaders of these countries. As APEC 2005 Host, Korea has identified a number of important objectives for this year, such as advancing free trade, regional and global security, fighting corruption, and promoting crosscultural communications. With regard to 'advancing free trade,' efforts will be centered on two key areas. First, leaders this year will show particular collective interest in APEC's continued efforts to achieve the Bogor Goals, which specify the objectives for free and open trade and investment by 2010 for developed nations, and 2020 for developing nations. With the 2010 deadline fast approaching, it is imperative that APEC reviews and reaffirms its commitment to these goals and develops a detailed roadmap for achieving them. Korea will also seek to forge a unified APEC position supporting the upcoming Doha Development Agenda (DDA) negotiations. APEC 2005 aims to contribute to the progress of the DDA negotiations by giving timely impetus for the WTO (World Trade Organization) to reach an agreement by this December at the 6th WTO Ministerial Conference in Hong Kong. In this regard, APEC will issue a strong collective message stressing the need for successful completion of the Doha Round. In preparation of hosting APEC 2005, the Preparatory Office for APEC 2005 has been in operation since September 2003 when it was established under the umbrella of the Preparatory Committee for APEC 2005 headed by the Prime Minister of Korea. APEC 2005 is virtually a yearlong process in which over 20 ministerial meetings and working-level meetings in addition to other conferences will be held leading up to the Economic Leaders' Meeting in Busan. The venues for these meetings have been spread nationwide to support the Korean government's goal of balanced national development. BEXCO, the venue for the first session of the Economic Leaders' Meeting and other events, is currently under renovation to provide high-end convention and exhibition facilities. The 'Nurimaru APEC House,' a three-story pavilion designed to hold the second session of the summit, is being built on Dongbaek Island. The new facility promises to serve as a prominent retreat for participating global leaders, offering breathtaking views of the surrounding environs. As APEC 2005 Host, Korea has identified a number of important objectives for this year, such as advancing free trade, regional and global security, fighting corruption, and promoting crosscultural communications. With regard to 'advancing free trade,' efforts will be centered on two key areas. First, leaders this year will show particular collective interest in APEC's continued efforts to achieve the Bogor Goals, which specify the objectives for free and open trade and investment by 2010 for developed nations, and 2020 for developing nations. With the 2010 deadline fast approaching, it is imperative that APEC reviews and reaffirms its commitment to these goals and develops a detailed roadmap for achieving them. Korea will also seek to forge a unified APEC position supporting the upcoming Doha Development Agenda (DDA) negotiations. APEC 2005 aims to contribute to the progress of the DDA negotiations by giving timely impetus for the WTO (World Trade Organization) to reach an agreement by this December at the 6th WTO Ministerial Conference in Hong Kong. In this regard, APEC will issue a strong collective message stressing the need for successful completion of the Doha Round. In preparation of hosting APEC 2005, the Preparatory Office for APEC 2005 has been in operation since September 2003 when it was established under the umbrella of the Preparatory Committee for APEC 2005 headed by the Prime Minister of Korea. APEC 2005 is virtually a yearlong process in which over 20 ministerial meetings and working-level meetings in addition to other conferences will be held leading up to the Economic Leaders' Meeting in Busan. The venues for these meetings have been spread nationwide to support the Korean government's goal of balanced national development. BEXCO, the venue for the first session of the Economic Leaders' Meeting and other events, is currently under renovation to provide high-end convention and exhibition facilities. The 'Nurimaru APEC House,' a three-story pavilion designed to hold the second session of the summit, is being built on Dongbaek Island. The new facility promises to serve as a prominent retreat for participating global leaders, offering breathtaking views of the surrounding environs.