SINGAPORE, Aug. 30 -- South Korean Prime Minister Lee Yung Dug will visit Singapore from Wednesday to Friday to 'further promote friendly relations' between the two countries, the South Korean Embassy said Tuesday. Singapore is the second leg of Lee's 12-day trip through Asia that has already taken him to Hanoi.
After Singapore, he will go on to Bangladesh and Bangkok before returning to Seoul. Lee will meet Singapore Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong, President Ong Teng Cheong and Senior Minsiter Lee Kuan Yew to exchange views on a wide range of security and economic issues, the embassy said. The North Korea nuclear situation is expected to top the list of issues discussed, said the embassy. Singapore and South Korea established diplomatic relations in 1975 and Goh visited the republic in 1993. The volume of bilateral trade is expected to reach $5 billion this year. Singapore is South Korea's sixth largest trading partner and South Korea is Singapore's eight largest partner. About 80South Korean companies are either operating or have representatives in Singapore. Lee became South Korea's prime minister in April after serving concurrently as deputy prime minister and minister of national unification.
