LONDON: South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and First Girl Kim Keon Hee start a three-day journey to the UK on Tuesday (Nov 21), with King Charles III internet hosting his first state guests since his coronation.
Yoon will obtain the total purple carpet therapy, attending a state banquet at Buckingham Palace and lunching with the king and his spouse, Queen Camilla.
However it can even be about enterprise, with Yoon and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak set to agree on deepening cooperation and launch negotiations on an upgraded free-trade deal.
“Commerce and funding is predicted to be a key focus of the go to, with … commerce secretaries from each international locations making ready to signal an settlement to launch the negotiations for an upgraded trendy, world-leading Free Commerce Settlement (FTA) on Wednesday,” mentioned Downing Road.
The UK authorities is eager to strike new offers with international locations around the globe following its departure from the European Union, notably with fast-growing economies within the Indo-Pacific area.
President Yoon will tackle parliament in a go to that his workplace says is a “signal that London considers Seoul a key companion in world cooperation and the Indo-Pacific area”.
Yoon will ship the speech, anticipated to be in English, on bilateral ties between the 2 international locations and how one can enhance the connection going ahead, in accordance with South Korean media.
DEFENCE TIES
Charles’s eldest son and inheritor Prince William and spouse Catherine will meet the guests on Tuesday morning, becoming a member of them for an official welcoming ceremony at Horse Guards Parade in central London.
The couple will then get the total royal therapy, attending a grand state banquet on the close by palace.
It’s the first time the king has hosted a state go to since he was formally topped in Might.
Yoon instructed his cupboard final week that “the upcoming go to will function a springboard for additional deepening financial cooperation between the 2 international locations,” in accordance with native media.
That cooperation will centre on science and know-how, with South Korea aiming to broaden enterprise alternatives and high-tech trade provide chains, he added.
Main enterprise figures together with Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong and Hyundai Motor chief Chung Eui-sun will be a part of Yoon on the go to.
“As two nations centered on innovation, harnessing new applied sciences and defending the worldwide rules-based order, the UK and Republic of Korea are pure companions,” Sunak mentioned forward of the go to.
The UK final yr launched session for an enhanced free commerce settlement, to improve the prevailing accord which replicates the EU’s settlement with South Korea.
UK ministers are eyeing an growth of exports in digital, enterprise and monetary providers.
Complete commerce in items and providers between the UK and South Korea was £16.1 billion (US$20.1 billion) within the yr to the top of second quarter this yr.
Defence cooperation will even be on the agenda, with each international locations pledging to step up joint coaching and operations “to create probably the most complete train regime between the UK and any companion aside from the US”, mentioned Downing Road.
Science ministers from each international locations are additionally anticipated to signal a memorandum of understanding on area cooperation, it added.
