S. Korean foreign minister to visit Brunei

SEOUL, Jan. 10 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's top diplomat plans to visit Brunei this week for discussions on how to improve Seoul's ties with ASEAN, her ministry announced Thursday.

Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha will hold talks with her counterpart, Erywan Yusof, on Saturday.

Kang is also scheduled to pay a courtesy call on the Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah, according to the ministry's spokesman Noh Kyu-duk.

Kang's three-day trip there that begins Friday comes amid the Moon Jae-in administration's New Southern Policy aimed at strengthening Seoul's ties with India and Southeast Asian countries.

In 2019, South Korea and Brunei mark the 35th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations.

It's also the 30th anniversary of Seoul's formal dialogue with the 10-member ASEAN regional grouping. ASEAN stands for Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

"The talks this time will serve as an important opportunity for consultations on ways to promote bilateral cooperation with Brunei, which has assumed the three-year role as country coordinator for the South Korea-ASEAN Dialogue since August last year, and develop South Korea-ASEAN relations," he said at a press briefing.

lcd@yna.co.kr
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