Lee to pay state visits to Singapore, Philippines next week
President Lee Jae Myung, right, and first lady, Kim Hea Kyung, wave before departing from Seoul Air Base in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, Jan. 13. Yonhap
President Lee Jae Myung will pay state visits to Singapore and the Philippines next week for summit talks aimed at expanding cooperation with the Southeast Asian nations, Cheong Wa Dae said Friday.
Lee will depart for Singapore on Sunday for a three-day visit, with summit talks with Prime Minister Lawrence Wong and a meeting with Singaporean President Tharman Shanmugaratnam, the ceremonial head of state, scheduled for Monday, presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung said in a written briefing.
It will mark their second summit since Lee and Wong met in early November during Wong's visit to South Korea for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, during which the two nations upgraded their relations to a strategic partnership.
"In light of Lee's visit to Singapore, the two nations are expected to strengthen cooperation in trade, investment and infrastructure, and broaden the collaboration in promising sectors, such as artificial intelligence (AI) and nuclear power," Kang said, noting Lee will attend a business forum to engage with industry leaders in the AI field.
On Tuesday, Lee will fly to Manila and hold a summit with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on the same day.
It will also mark Lee's second summit with Marcos after their first meeting on the sidelines of the APEC summit in the southeastern city of Gyeongju in late October.
"In light of Lee's visit to the Philippines, the two nations will deepen practical cooperation in the defense industry, infrastructure and trade, and solidify the foundation for collaboration in promising sectors, including nuclear power, shipbuilding, critical minerals and AI," the spokesperson said.
Cheong Wa Dae expressed hope that Lee's trip will promote coordination with key members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on the international stage and help pave the way for deeper ties with the regional bloc.