Kazakh president to be first foreign leader to visit S. Korea amid pandemic

SEOUL-- Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev will make a state visit to South Korea next week for summit talks with President Moon Jae-in, Cheong Wa Dae announced Thursday.

He will be the first foreign leader to visit here since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Kazakh president is scheduled to arrive in Seoul on Monday and have talks with Moon the next day on promoting substantive cooperation between the two countries, according to Cheong Wa Dae spokesperson Park Kyung-mee.

"Kazakhstan is our largest trading partner and investment destination in Central Asia, and also a key partner in the push for the New Northern Policy," she said at a press briefing.

"They plan to discuss ways to expand substantive bilateral cooperation in various fields, such as transportation, infrastructure, construction, ICT, health care and the environment," Park said.

Among other items on the agenda are how to promote cultural and people-to-people exchanges, and strengthen partnerships on regional and global issues as the countries mark the 30th anniversary in 2022 of establishing diplomatic ties.

In addition, the remains of Hong Beom-do, a well-known Korean independence fighter during Japan's colonial rule from 1910-45, will be repatriated in connection with his trip.

Hong, who had served as general commander of the Korean independence army, died in Kazakhstan in 1943. Hong is especially famous for the victory of his independence troops in the Battle of Fengwudong against Japanese forces in Manchuria, China, in 1920.

Moon plans to send a special delegation there to bring the remains home on Liberation Day, which falls on Sunday.

Led by Hwang Ki-chul, minister of patriot and veterans affairs, the team will also include Rep. Woo Won-shik of the ruling Democratic Party and Cho Jin-woong, an actor who starred in films on Korea's independence fight. Woo leads a local foundation to commemorate Hong and Cho.

Moon formally requested the return of the remains during his state visit to the Central Asian nation in April 2019. The two sides had since held working-level consultations on relevant procedures.

South Korea initially pushed for the repatriation of the remains in 2020, the centennial of the historic battle, but it was delayed due to the coronavirus situation, with Tokayev's trip put off as well.

The remains will be buried at Daejeon National Cemetery in Daejeon, about 160 kilometers south of Seoul, next Wednesday following an official mourning period.

Tokayev also will be the first Kazhak president to travel to South Korea in five years.

There are many ethnic Koreans living in Kazakhstan, called "Koryoin," in a legacy of mass immigration there during the declining years of Korea's Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910).

Source: Yonhap News Agency

Recent POSTS

advertisement

ADVERTISEMENT