M'sian Deputy PM Begins Two-Day South Korea Visit Monday

KUALA LUMPUR, June 11 (Bernama) -- Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin is to make a two-day working visit to South Korea beginning Monday, during which he is scheduled to launch Malaysia Day at the Yeosu Expo 2012 hosted by the port city of Yeosu. A Foreign Ministry statement said Sunday the Malaysia Pavilion at the exposition would highlight efforts to protect the maritime and coastal environment and promote Malaysia as an eco-tourism destination. It would also enhance Malaysia's profile as a nation which takes responsibility to protect the natural environment, it said. Muhyiddin is also scheduled to meet with South Korean Prime Minister Kim Hwang-Sik in Seoul and discuss issues of bilateral, regional and international interest, the statement said. It also said that the visit would strengthen bilateral ties in terms of trade, investment, education and tourism as well as science and technology exchange. Muhyiddin had visited South Korea twice after becoming the deputy prime minister, in July last year as the education minister and in March this year to attend the Nuclear Security Summit in Seoul. In YEOSU, the Malaysian ambassador to South Korea Ramlan Ibrahim said Muhyiddin's arrival with wife Norainee Abdul Rahman will be met by Natural Resources and Environment Minister of Malaysia Douglas Uggah Embas and chairman of Yeosu Expo, Kang Dong-suk. The Expo was opened by South Korean President Lee Myung-bak on May 11. Malaysia was represented by Malaysian Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environmment Joseph Kurup. Ramlan said after the event, Muhyiddin will leave for Seoul to make a courtesy call on South KoreaN Prime Minister, Kim Hwang-sik. At night, he will attend dinner with South Korean industrialists aimed at promoting trade and investment in Malaysia. On Tuesday morning, he will meet with entrepreneurs from giant Korean companies to brief them on trade and investment policies, the transformation agenda and opportunities in Malaysia. Muhyiddin will leave for Kuala Lumpur on Tueday afternoon. Ramlan said some 230,000 people have visited the Malaysian Pavilion at Yeosu Expo 2012. "We expect the number of visitors to the Malaysian Pavilion to reach the half a million target when it ends on Aug 12." -- BERNAMA