Adapting quickly to the speedy pace of life here in Seoul, New Zealand Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully fit a lot into his one-day visit to South Korea's capital on Thursday.
Here to mark the Korea-New Zealand Year of Friendship, as the two countries celebrate 50 years of diplomatic ties, McCully met with Korean lawmakers, presented a plaque to actress and New Zealand Cultural Ambassador to Korea Ha Ji-won, gave media interviews, hosted a reception at the New Zealand Residence and had a late-night dinner with his counterpart, South Korean Foreign Minister Kim Sung-hwan, before leaving for home Friday morning.
The trip followed a visit by Kim to New Zealand in August, during which the foreign ministers discussed progress on a free trade agreement, signed a new Antarctic Cooperation Agreement and shared a commitment to peace and security on the Korean Peninsula.
New Zealand service members were part of the United Nations contingent that assisted South Korea during the 1950-53 war with the North, and the country is an active part of the United Nations Command Armistice Commission that manages the Demilitarized zone between the two Koreas.
"We are celebrating the warm bonds of friendship forged in the bonds of war," McCully said at the Year of Friendship reception.
"At a time when golfing prodigy Lydia Ko has made LPGA history in Canada, I want to acknowledge the significant contribution Korean-New Zealanders are making in all areas of New Zealand life," he said. The minister was referring to South Korean-born New Zealander Ko, who last month became the youngest winner on the LPGA tour at age 15.
Korea is New Zealand's fifth-largest trading partner, second-largest source of international students and 1 percent of New Zealanders are of Korean descent, McCully said.
New Zealand Embassy sources said Friday McCully and the South Korean foreign minister continued their August discussion of regional topics during their dinner together the previous night.(Yonhap)