U.N. chief to visit S. Korea next week

SEOUL, Aug. 4 (Yonhap) -- United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will visit South Korea next week to hold talks with President Lee Myung-bak and show his support for various U.N.-related activities here, Seoul's foreign ministry said Thursday.
Ban will be visiting his home country for the first time following his re-election in June to a second five-year term as the leader of the global body. During his six-day trip that begins Tuesday, Ban is scheduled to hold talks with President Lee Myung-bak, National Assembly Speaker Park Hee-tae and Foreign Minister Kim Sung-hwan, the ministry said in a press release.
The former South Korean foreign minister also plans to attend the opening of the 2011 Global Model U.N. Conference in Incheon, west of Seoul, and meet with members of U.N. Global Compact and U.N. Academic Impact, two global initiatives seeking to support U.N. principles through business and higher education.
He will also attend the opening of a press photo exhibition hosted by Yonhap News Agency in support of the U.N.'s Millennium Development Goals.
To wrap up his trip, Ban will travel to his hometown of Eumseong, 131 kilometers south of Seoul, and meet with local residents and students there.