SEOUL: South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol was set to embark on a series of state visits to Saudi Arabia and Qatar on Saturday with economic cooperation high on the agenda, Yonhap news agency reported.
On the first leg of his trip, Yoon will visit Riyadh from Saturday to Tuesday, and hold a summit with Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman before attending various economic events.
The summit will come nearly a year after the crown prince visited Seoul last November and the two countries’ businesses signed 26 memorandums of understanding on projects worth some US$29 billion.
On the second leg of his trip, Yoon will visit Doha from Tuesday to Wednesday and hold a summit with Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.
Yoon will be the first South Korean president to make a state visit to either nation.
Saudi Arabia and Qatar together account for 38 per cent of South Korea’s crude oil imports and 21 per cent of its gas imports.
Yoon will be accompanied by a 130-member business delegation to Saudi Arabia and a 59-member business delegation to Qatar, according to Choi Sang Mok, senior presidential secretary for economic affairs,
The delegation to Riyadh will include Samsung Electronics Executive Chairman Lee Jae-yong, Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Euisun Chung, GS Group Chairman Huh Tae-soo and other leaders of conglomerates.
Yoon will return home early Thursday. He will be accompanied on the trip by first lady Kim Keon Hee. -Bernama-Yonhap
