President Moon Jae-in and first lady Kim Jung-sook wave goodbye as they board the plane for Jakarta for an eight-day trip to Southeast Asia, at the Seoul Air Base in Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do Province, on Nov. 8.
By Sohn JiAe
Photos = Cheong Wa Dae
President Moon Jae-in has embarked on an eight-day visit to three Southeast Asian countries, as he left for Jakarta on Nov. 8.
President Moon will make a state visit to Indonesia from Nov. 8 to 10, and then move on to Da Nang, Vietnam, to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit on Nov. 10 and 11.
He will wrap up the tour by attending the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) +3 summit and the East Asia Summit (EAS) in Manila on Nov. 13 and 14.
In Jakarta, the president will have dinner with Koreans residing in the area. On Nov. 9, he will pay tribute to the fallen soldiers at the Kalibata Heroes Cemetery. Following that, he will participate in the Korea-Indonesia Business Forum.
As the highlight of the state visit, President Moon is scheduled to have a summit with his Indonesian counterpart, Joko Widodo, to talk about ways to further improve bilateral ties and to further cooperate on defense material, the economy and North Korean issues.
In Da Nang on Nov. 10, the president will meet with members of the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC) and hold talks with leaders from the U.S., Singapore and Malaysia. Agenda items on the table there pertain to regional economic integration, inclusive economic growth and the future of APEC.
On Nov. 11, he will introduce his administration’s policies, which are “people-centered” and which aim at “sustainable growth,” at the APEC summit. During the two-day visit, he will hold a summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping, their second since Moon has taken office.
At the ASEAN+3 summit in Manila on Nov. 13 and 14, President Moon will discuss the present and future of ties with ASEAN leaders. He will also talk to Chinese Premier Li Keqiang during his time there.
President Moon Jae-in and first lady Kim Jung-sook walk toward the plane bound for Jakarta, the first stop on their eight-day tour to Southeast Asia, at the Seoul Air Base in Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do Province, on Nov. 8.
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