[THE INVESTOR] President Park Geun-hye met with a U.N. intellectual property agency chief on Aug. 25 for talks on cooperation between Korea and the agency, Cheong Wa Dae said.

Francis Gurry, the director general of the World Intellectual Property Organization, visited the presidential office to explore cooperative projects, particularly ones to support developing nations in the realm of intellectual property, Park‘s aides said.

During their talks, Park was expected to highlight that protecting intellectual property rights is crucial in advancing her “creative economy” agenda.

The creative economy refers to Park’s growth strategy that calls for boosting the economy by creating new business opportunities, industries and jobs through the fusion of information and communications technology, culture and other areas.

Established in 1967, the Geneva-based WIPO is a specialized U.N. agency. Gurry has led the agency since 2008, seeking a “balanced and effective” international intellectual property system that enables innovation and creativity for all countries.

The agency currently has 189 member states, including the US, Japan, China, Germany and France. South Korea joined in 1979.

(theinvestor@heraldcorp.com)