By Kang Hyun-kyung
Hong Joon-pyo, a former chairman of the ruling Saenuri Party, will leave for Myanmar today on a resources diplomacy trip, according to an aide Wednesday.
As a special envoy, the former lawmaker will meet cabinet ministers in charge of foreign affairs and sports to discuss ways to deepen bilateral ties with the resource-rich Southeast Asian nation. Hong’s visit to the country comes weeks after President Lee Myung-bak paid a visit to Myanmar for a summit with President Thein Sein.
After winding up the trip, Hong will visit Thailand and meet Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra.
Hong’s Thailand trip comes months after Lee and Shinawatra agreed to cooperate in water resources control during a meeting held on the sidelines of the Nuclear Security Summit held in Seoul in March, after the country was hit hard by floods last year.
Hong will return to Seoul, July 2.