S. Korea to send presidential envoys to Ecuadorean leader's inauguration

By Lee Chi-dong
SEOUL, Aug. 6 (Yonhap) -- South Korean President Lee Myung-bak will send two
ruling party lawmakers to the inauguration ceremony of his Ecuadorean counterpart
to be held next week, the foreign ministry said Thursday.
Reps. Chin Soo-hee and Ryu Jung-hyun of the Grand National Party will attend the
event Monday as presidential envoys, it said.
President Rafael Correa, who first took office in 2006, was re-elected in April.
The lawmakers plan to convey the South Korean president's message to Correa,
which expresses hopes for better bilateral ties, according to the ministry.
They will also meet parliamentary leaders of Ecuador to discuss ways to promote
cooperation between the two sides' legislative bodies.
About 1,400 South Koreans reside in Ecuador, mostly engaged in trade. Ecuadaor is
known for its rich natural resources including oil, and is pushing for a number
of energy-related projects and public construction works.
lcd@yna.co.kr
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