S, Korea’s top diplomat to visit Singapore, Indonesia this week

SEOUL, Sep 22, 2020, Yonhap. Deputy Foreign Minister Kim Gunn will visit Singapore and Indonesia later this week for talks about enhancing bilateral ties and regional cooperation, officials said, Yonhap News Agency reported.

Kim will make a three-day visit to Singapore starting Thursday for talks with his counterpart and other officials before heading to Jakarta on Saturday for a four-day trip that could include a courtesy call on Lim Jock Hoi, the secretary general of the Association of the Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

Kim will return home next Tuesday.

Kim is expected to use the trip to keep the momentum for further development of relations with the two ASEAN members, under Seoul’s drive for its signature New Southern Policy aimed at deepening economic and other ties with Southeast Asian partners.

Kim also plans to meet with Korean businesspeople working in the two countries to listen to their difficulties amid the pandemic and check the situations after the implementation of simplified entry procedures.

Singapore and Indonesia are among the countries that have established expedited entry programs for South Korean businesspeople in exception to entry curbs imposed over coronavirus fears.

South Korea has been trying to persuade foreign countries to ease entry systems for essential travelers, as it has been bolstering efforts to expand in-person diplomacy. Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha visited Vietnam last week for talks with her counterpart on the easing of entry restrictions.