President Moon Jae-in (left) on Oct. 31 in Rome, Italy, greets Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison with an elbow bump ahead of their bilateral summit at the convention center La Nuvola. (Yonhap News)
By Xu Aiying and Kim Hayeon
President Moon Jae-in from Dec. 12-15 will make a four-day state visit to Australia at the invitation of Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison.
Cheong Wa Dae Spokesperson Park Kyung-mee on Dec. 7 in a briefing gave the itinerary of the president's trip at Chunchugwan Press Center.
President Moon will be the first Korean leader in 12 years to make a state visit Down Under. He is also the first world leader since March last year to receive an invitation from Canberra to visit since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The president on Dec. 13 will hold a summit with Prime Minister Morrison and give a joint media conference after attending an agreement-signing ceremony. The Korean leader will also appear at an official welcoming event and a state luncheon hosted by Australian Governor-General David Hurley.
Later, the chief executive will pay his respects at the Australian National Korean War Memorial and have dinner with Australian veterans of the war.
On Dec. 14, he will go to Sydney for talks with Anthony Albanese, leader of the opposition Australian Labor Party, and attend a luncheon hosted by New South Wales Gov. Margaret Beazley. The president will also discuss with Australian economic leaders cooperation in the supply chains for core minerals.
Spokesperson Park said, "On the occasion of 60 years of Korean-Australian relations, this state visit is an opportunity to deepen ties with Australia, a traditional ally in the Korean War who shares universal values like democracy, humanity and market economics, and elevate relations to the level of a comprehensive strategic partnership."
"We also expect the state visit to serve as an opportunity to build a stable supply chain for raw materials and core minerals, strengthen cooperation in key future sectors such as carbon-neutral technology, the hydrogen economy, defense industry, space and cyberspace, and reaffirm Australian support for the peace process on the Korean Peninsula."