Ex-GNP leader Park to visit Europe as special presidential envoy

SEOUL, April 14 (Yonhap) -- Park Geun-hye, a former leader of the ruling Grand National Party (GNP), will visit the Netherlands, Portugal and Greece starting late this month as a special envoy of President Lee Myung-bak, the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae announced Thursday.
All three nations mark the 50th anniversary of their relations with South Korea this year, and Park will meet with their respective leaders during the April 28-May 6 trip to deliver Seoul's intentions to move relations with the countries forward, senior political affairs secretary Chung Jin-suk said.
Her visit will include meetings with Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands, President Anibal Cavaco Silva of Portugal and President Karolos Papoulias of Greece as well as other key figures in the three nations, Chung said.
Park was a rival of Lee ahead of the 2007 presidential election and is considered a leading contender in the presidential poll scheduled for late next year.
It will be the third time for Park to serve as Lee's special envoy. Park visited China in early 2008 and Europe in 2009 as a special envoy of the president.

jschang@yna.co.kr