PRESIDENT PARK AND SOUTH KOREAN FOREIGN MINISTER, WELCOMING DELEGATES TO CONFERENCE.




Initials AA/V---S/JF/JG



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Background: SOUTH KOREA'S PRESIDENT CHUNG HEE PARK WELCOMED DELEGATES TO AN ASIAN-PACIFIC MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE IN SEOUL YESTERDAY (TUESDAY) WITH A WARNING AGAINST COMMUNISM AND A DEFENCE OF HIS COUNTRY'S MILITARY COMMITMENT IN SOUTH VIETNAM.

RECALLING THE COMMUNIST INVASION OF SOUTH KOREAN IN 1950, PRESIDENT PARK SAID COMMUNISM WAS NOW ENGAGED IN A LARGE-SCALE CAMPAIGN TO COMMUNIST ASIA THROUGH THE VIETNAMESE CONFLICT. THE NATURAL COURSE OF ACTION FOR FREE ASIAN AND PACIFIC NATIONS AT THIS JUNCTURE WAS FURTHER TO STRENGTHEN MUTUAL COOPERATION AND SOLIDARITY, HE SAID.

POLITICAL, ECONOMIC AND CULTURAL COOPERATION ARE THE KEYNOTE OF THE THREE-DAY TALKS. MOST PARTICIPANTS OPPOSE ANY EFFORTS AT FORMING AN ANTI-COMMUNIST OR MILITARY ALLIANCE, BUT THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA AND THE SOVIET UNION HAVE CLAIMED THAT THIS IS THE REAL MEANING OF THE CONFERENCE.

AUSTRALIA, TAIWAN, JAPAN, MALAYSIA, NEW ZEALAND, THE PHILIPPINES, THAILAND, SOUTH VIETNAM, AND SOUTH KOREA ARE ALL REPRESENTED AT THE CONFERENCE, AND A TENTH COUNTRY, LAOS, HAS SENT AN OBSERVER.