Korea ready to greet science ministers from around the globe

South Korea said Thursday it is ready to hold a global forum for science ministers next week, where participants will discuss ways to forge deeper ties for technology development.
  

Delegations from 59 countries including ministerial-level science officials, businessmen and scholars are expected to attend the OECD Ministerial Meeting Daejeon 2015, World Science & Technology Forum, which will open on Monday, according to the science ministry.
  

The event will be held in Daejeon, located 164 kilometers south of Seoul, which is home to numerous science organizations including the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology.
  

It will run through Oct. 23 under the slogan "Creating our common future through science, technology, and innovation."
  

The event will host three major meetings with participants from not only the OECD, but also from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Participants will discuss various topics on the role of science from climate change to the income divide.
  

It will mark the first time for the OECD science ministerial gathering to be held outside Paris.
  

Key participants will include Angel Gurria, secretary-general of the OECD, and Jeremy Rifkin, a world-famous theorist.
  

The Ministry of Science, ICT, and Future Planning said it also plans to roll out what it calls the "Daejeon Declaration" during the meeting by gathering views from other ministers.
  

"The rise of Asia has recently become important in the science realm, which has long been dominated by Europe and North America," a ministry official said, adding the upcoming event will help South Korea take a greater role for the world's development.
  

The ministry also aims to seek "inclusive growth" by narrowing the technology gap between underdeveloped nations and developed ones. (Yonhap)