S. Korean President to visit India, Singapore next week

South Korean President Moon Jae-in will embark on a two-nation Asia tour to India and Singapore next week aimed at enhancing his country's relations with its Asian neighbours

Seoul: South Korean President Moon Jae-in will embark on a two-nation Asia tour to India and Singapore next week aimed at enhancing his country's relations with its Asian neighbours, the presidential office announced on Monday. Moon will head for India on Sunday for a four-day state visit that will include a bilateral summit with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, according to presidential office spokesman Kim Eui-kyeom. "India is fast becoming a major power with the fastest growing economy in Asia. It is also a key nation for cooperation under the New Southern Policy that our government is actively pursuing," the spokesman told a press briefing. "President Moon and Prime Minister Modi are expected to discuss ways to strengthen the countries' special strategic partnership and to further expand their future-oriented cooperation," the official was quoted as saying by Yonhap news agency. The South Korean leader is also set to hold talks with Indian President Ram Nath Kovind before heading to Singapore on July 11. There, he will hold meetings with Singaporean President Halimah Yacob and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, the spokesman said. "Through his meetings with the President and the Prime Minister of Singapore, Moon will evaluate the result of cooperation between the two countries so far and discuss ways to enable future-oriented cooperation... based on such progress," he said. Moon will also offer a special lecture for Singapore's top opinion leaders on Seoul's efforts to denuclearize North Korea and establish lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula. Moon's trip to Singapore follows his two historic summits with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, held on April 27 and May 26, as well as the meeting between Kim and US President Donald Trump in Singapore on June 12. "The President plans to explain the country's vision and policy for the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and the establishment of permanent peace as well as its New Southern Policy that seeks to upgrade the country's cooperation with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations," the presidential office spokesman said. The South Korean leader will return home next Friday.