President Lee departs for state visits to India and Vietnam, beginning six-day trip

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[Financial News] President Lee Jae-myung departed from Seoul Air Base on the 19th aboard Code One for a six-day, five-night state visit to India and Vietnam.
Lee arrived at Seoul Air Base in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, at 11:45 a.m. with First Lady Kim Hye-kyung and boarded the presidential jet after greeting those there to see him off. Among those present were Democratic Party of Korea leader Jung Chung-rae, floor leader Han Byung-do, presidential chief of staff Kang Hoon-sik, senior presidential secretary for political affairs Hong Ik-pyo, Minister of the Interior and Safety Yun Ho-jung, First Vice Foreign Minister Park Yunju, Vietnamese Ambassador to Korea Bu Ho, acting Indian Ambassador to Korea Nishi Kant Singh, and the commander of the Air Force's 15th Special Missions Wing.
Lee wore a black suit with a striped tie in burgundy and navy, while Kim wore a white long dress. The couple shook hands one by one with Jung, Minister Yun, Chief of Staff Kang, and others in front of Code One before heading to the boarding stairs. They then bowed to the well-wishers from the top of the stairs and boarded the aircraft, while the attendees stood in a line and waved them off.
Lee is set to arrive in New Delhi, India, later in the day and begin a three-day, two-night schedule. In line with the customary protocol for a state visit to India, he will meet with Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and attend a dinner meeting with Korean residents there. On the 20th, he will lay a wreath at Raj Ghat, then hold a small-group summit and expanded talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, followed by an exchange of memorandums of understanding, a joint press statement, and a business forum.
Lee will then travel to Hanoi, Vietnam, on the 21st. On the 22nd, he will attend a luncheon meeting with Korean residents, hold a summit with Communist Party General Secretary and State President To Lam, and take part in an exchange of memorandums of understanding, a joint press statement, and a state dinner. On the 23rd, he will meet separately with Prime Minister Le Minh Hung and National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man before attending the Korea-Vietnam Business Forum to discuss ways to strengthen economic cooperation. On the final day of the trip, the 24th, he will tour the Central Sector of the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long - Hanoi with General Secretary To Lam before returning home.
Cheong Wa Dae said the trip is intended to elevate strategic cooperation with India and Vietnam to a new level. Wi Sung-lac, director of the Office of National Security, previously said, "We expect this visit, which takes the president to two fast-growing countries in succession, to broaden the horizons of our diplomacy and create opportunities to deepen strategic cooperation in a range of key areas."
west@fnnews.com Seong Seok-woo, Choi Jong-geun Reporter