/cloudfront-us-east-2.images.arcpublishing.com/reuters/QEWYIKHFJFJ55C7I3TGPB347UY.jpg?fit=%2C&quality=89&ssl=1 "South Korea’s Yoon seeks stronger financial, safety ties on UK state go to")
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[1/2]South Korea’s President Yoon Suk Yeol speaks throughout a summit dialogue, on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Financial Cooperation (APEC) summit, on the Stanford, California, U.S., November 17, 2023. REUTERS/Brittany Hosea-Small/File picture Purchase Licensing Rights
SEOUL, Nov 20 (Reuters) – South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol heads to Britain on Monday for a state go to, hoping to spice up financial ties and improve safety partnerships to counter North Korea’s evolving threats and different regional challenges.
Yoon’s four-day journey would be the first state go to hosted by Britain because the coronation of King Charles, and comes as North Korea seems to be making last preparations for one more try at launching its first spy satellite tv for pc.
In an interview with The Telegraph newspaper, Yoon mentioned the wars in Ukraine and in Gaza, coupled with rising Russia-North Korea ties and tensions within the South China Sea, had compelled him to hunt “very shut safety cooperation” with the West.
The president will probably be met with loads of pomp and ceremony. Yoon will obtain a guard of honour and experience in a carriage procession to Buckingham Palace, in accordance with the palace.
He’ll maintain talks with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Wednesday, and undertake an accord on increasing a bilateral partnership.
Yoon has expressed hope for deeper cooperation with Britain on an “array of geopolitical dangers” together with provide chains and power safety, the Telegraph mentioned.
“The 2 nations have extra room to cooperate on the financial entrance,” Yoon’s spokesperson Lee Do-woon mentioned, noting bilateral commerce was value $12.1 billion final yr, fifth amongst European nations.
Yoon’s go to comes after his return from the APEC summit in San Francisco, the place he referred to as for a coordinated response to rising army ties between North Korea and Russia.
From Britain, Yoon will head to France for a go to geared toward bolstering help for South Korea’s internet hosting the 2030 World Expo, his workplace mentioned.
The expo host is predicted to be determined this month by a vote of member states of the Worldwide Bureau of Expositions, the expo organising physique. Its headquarters is in Paris.
Reporting by Soo-hyang Choi
Enhancing by Ed Davies and Gerry Doyle
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