By Na Jeong-ju
Staff reporter
President Lee Myung-bak held a summit with Israeli President Shimon Peres at Cheong Wa Dae, Thursday, as activists staged protests near the Israeli Embassy over the country's deadly raid on a Gaza-bound aid flotilla last week that sparked worldwide concerns.
The summit came amid reports that Seoul lowered the status of Peres' visit from a state to "working" visit after its request to delay his trip was turned down by Jerusalem.
At the summit, the two leaders exchanged views on bilateral economic relations, science technology and the development of renewable energy sources, Cheong Wa Dae said in a press release.
"Lee and Perez expressed satisfaction over the progress of a cooperative partnership between South Korea and Israel since their diplomatic relations were established in 1962," the presidential office said.
They also discussed geopolitical risks in the Middle East as well as in Northeast Asia.
Lee called for Israel's continued support for South Korea in resolving the crisis brewing on the Korean Peninsula following North Korea's torpedo attack on a South Korean Navy vessel in March, which killed 46 sailors, according to Cheong Wa Dae.
The South Korean government has denied Peres' visit was downgraded, but diplomatic sources here say Seoul wanted to keep it low key amid global protests over the raid which killed nine Turkish activists.
Usually, Cheong Wa Dae offers a press release on a foreign leader's visit days before it takes place.
However, it skipped the process this time and even failed to comment on his arrival in Seoul on Tuesday.
Turkish President Abdullah Gul plans to visit South Korea early next week to discuss bilateral trade and cooperation in the energy and defense industries.
"The irony is that the Israeli raid took place just before the planned visits by Israeli and Turkish leaders," a source said asking not to be named. "We are really uncomfortable about that because both Israel and Turkey are strategically important partners for South Korea."
In front of the Israeli Embassy in Seoul, some 50 protesters denounced Peres as a "killer" as he held talks with Lee.
Lee's alma mater, Korea University, scrapped a plan to award Peres an honorary doctorate on Wednesday, reports said. The Israeli president and his delegation toured the country's top scientific university, the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology.
According to the Israeli media, South Korea had asked to delay Peres' trip to Seoul due to concerns of anti-Israel demonstrations. The Israeli president, however, insisted on the visit.
Perez was scheduled to visit Vietnam after his trip to Seoul, but the Vietnamese government recently announced an indefinite delay of his visit.