SOUTH KOREAN PRESIDENT ARRIVES ON MAIDEN STATE VISIT TO MALAYSIA

SEPANG (Malaysia), Dec 10 (Bernama) -- South Korean President Lee Myung-bak
arrived here Thursday on his maiden state visit to Malaysia.

The special aircraft carrying Lee and his 190-member entourage, comprising
ministers, senior officers, businessmen and journalists, arrived at the KL
International Airport at 6.30 pm.

Lee was greeted by Transport Minister and minister-in-attendance
Kong Cho Ha and Deputy Foreign Minister A. Kohilan Pillay.

The South Korean president's two-day visit coincides with the 50th
anniversary of diplomatic relations between South Korea and Malaysia.

Lee will be accorded a state welcome at Parliament Square in Kuala Lumpur
Friday. He will be welcomed by the Malaysian King Tuanku Mizan Zainal
Abidin.

The South Korean president is scheduled to have an audience with Tuanku
Mizan at National Palace in Kuala Lumpur and attend a banquet hosted by the
king.

Lee and a delegation of ministers are scheduled to have talks with Prime
Minister Najib Tun Razak and a Malaysian delegation Friday morning.

Both sides are expected to focus on bilateral issues and identify new areas
of cooperation, as well as discuss issues of regional and global interest.

Lee is also scheduled to attend a Korea-Malaysia Roundtable Meeting with
Korean and Malaysian businessmen.

Malaysia and South Korea have enjoyed close relations since they established
ties in 1960.

Both countries enjoy close cooperation, particularly in trade and
investment, higher education, science and technology as well as tourism, and
South Korea was Malaysia's six most important trading partner last year.

-- BERNAMA