Dr Mahathir Mohamad examining the guard of honor as he arrives at Seoul Air Base in conjunction with his two-day official visit to South Korea. — Bernama photo
SEOUL: Seoul accorded an official welcome to visiting Malaysian Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad at Seoul Air Base yesterday with the popular song ‘Standing In The Eyes of The World’.
The song, synonymous with the Malaysian premier after the Commonwealth Games 1998, was performed by the South Korea Military performance group and brass band.
The special aircraft carrying the Malaysian premier and wife Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Mohd Ali touched down at the airport at 1.30pm local time Wednesday (12.30pm Malaysian time).
On hand to welcome him at the airport were Korea’s Minister of Health and Welfare Park Neung-hoo; South Korea Ambassador to Malaysia Lee Chi-beom; and General for Protocol Affairs, Commander Bae Soon-wook from the 15th Special Missions Wing.
Also present were the Minister of Foreign Affairs Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah; Minister of Communications and Multimedia Gobind Singh Deo; Minister of Health Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad; and Minister of Water, Land and Natural Resources Dr A Xavier Jayakumar; Malaysian Ambassador to Korea Datuk Mohd Ashri Muda, and Malaysian Defence Attache in Seoul, Colonel Mohd Sobirin Mohd Yusof.
Soon after arrival, Dr Mahathir inspected the guard of honour after the national anthems of Malaysia and South Korea were played.
This is the prime minister’s first official visit to South Korea since assuming the post as Malaysia’s 7th Prime Minister in May 2018.
During the visit, Dr Mahathir will lead the Malaysian delegation to a bilateral meeting with South Korean President Moon Jae-in.
The meeting is a follow-up to both leaders’ discussion in Kuala Lumpur during Moon’s state visit to Malaysia from March 12-14, 2019.
Both leaders are scheduled to witness the signing of four Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) – in information and communications technology, digital government, healthcare & medical science and, water and sewerage management tomorrow.
On top of attending official programmes, the prime minister is also scheduled to participate in a roundtable business meeting with South Korean captains of industry and to receive a courtesy call from the president and CEO of Daewoo Engineering and Construction Co. Ltd.
Dr Mahathir will also take the opportunity to meet with the Malaysian diaspora in Seoul.
Dr Mahathir and Dr Siti Hasmah are expected to return to Malaysia today. — Bernama .