Seoul: South Korean President Lee Jae Myung departed for Malaysia on Sunday to attend this year’s Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit meetings, aiming to forge deeper ties with the regional bloc and strengthen cooperation against online scams and other transnational crimes.
Lee and First Lady Kim Hea Kyung boarded the presidential plane at Seoul Air Base in Seongnam, just south of Seoul, heading to Kuala Lumpur for a two-day trip in his first visit to Southeast Asia since taking office in June, Yonhap News Agency reported.
On Monday, he will take part in the ASEAN summit, where he plans to discuss ways to advance South Korea’s comprehensive strategic partnership with the 10-member bloc.
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Lee also intends to outline his vision for strengthening cooperation in artificial intelligence, discuss joint responses to online scam crimes and seek ASEAN’s support for his peace vision on the Korean Peninsula, National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac said Friday.
Lee will then join the ASEAN Plus Three summit involving South Korea, Japan and China to promote broader regional cooperation, where he is expected to hold his first in-person meetings with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and Chinese Premier Li Qiang.
On the sidelines, he will meet with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet to discuss bilateral ties and ongoing efforts to combat rising cases of online scams targeting South Koreans, following the recent torture and death of a college student lured to Cambodia.
Lee is also scheduled to hold talks with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to discuss ways to deepen economic cooperation before returning home late Monday.
His trip marks the first in a flurry of diplomatic events this week as South Korea is set to host the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit and economic events in the southeastern city of Gyeongju.
This year’s gathering is drawing major attention as US President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping are set to hold a high-stakes summit amid intensifying trade tensions between the world’s two largest economies.
On the sidelines, Lee is scheduled to meet Trump for a second in-person summit on October 29 and hold his first summit with Xi on November 1, with both leaders making state visits to South Korea, according to the presidential office.