The Korea Herald

지나쌤

U.N. chief due in S. Korea for education forum

By KH디지털2

Published : May 18, 2015 - 09:23

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U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will embark on a five-day trip to South Korea later Monday, his first visit here in nearly two years.

The primary purpose of the visit to his homeland this time is to participate in the World Education Forum to be held in Songdo, west of Seoul, from Tuesday through Friday, officials said.

On Tuesday, Ban plans to deliver the opening speech at the WEF and hold a joint press conference with UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova.

The next day, Ban, formerly South Korea's top diplomat, will meet with President Park Geun-hye at her office Cheong Wa Dae.

He is also scheduled to meet Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se and National Assembly Speaker Chung Eui-hwa.

"To be discussed in the meetings are South Korea-U.N. relations, climate change, post-2015 development agenda and other major pending issues as well as security conditions on the Korean Peninsula," the Foreign Ministry said.

Ban will then join a special event to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the birth of the U.N. to be hosted by the South Korean government on Wednesday night, the ministry added.

He also plans to hold a meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi while he visits Seoul this week, according to a ministry official.

The U.N. chief made a previous tour of South Korea in August 2013 for vacation. (Yonhap)