▲ President Lee Jae-myung and First Lady Kim Hye-kyung are seen bidding farewell to well-wishers on Air Force Unit 1 at Seoul Airport in Seongnam as they embark on a state visit to Singapore and the Philippines on the 1st.
President Lee Jae-myung departed this morning for a three-night, four-day state visit to Singapore and the Philippines. This marks the third overseas trip of the year and his first visit to Southeast Asian countries in 2026.
President Lee and First Lady Kim Hye-kyung were sent off at Seoul Airport by Minister of the Interior and Safety Yoon Ho-jung, Democratic Party Leader Jeong Cheong-rae, Democratic Party Floor Leader Han Byung-do, Presidential Chief of Staff Kang Hoon-sik, and Senior Presidential Secretary for Political Affairs Hong Ik-pyo as they boarded Air Force Unit 1.
Acting Singaporean Ambassador to South Korea Kang Eleanor Yu and Acting Philippine Ambassador to South Korea Edwin Gil Q. Mendoza were also present at the airport to see off the presidential couple.
Tomorrow, President Lee will hold a summit and a friendship lunch with Prime Minister Lawrence Wong. Following that, he will have a meeting and a state dinner with President Tharman Shanmugaratnam.
President Lee is also scheduled to attend the ‘AI Connect Summit’, an event aimed at expanding opportunities for exchange and cooperation with professionals in the AI sector from both countries.
Cheong Wa Dae spokesperson Kang Yu-jung stated in a preliminary briefing conducted in writing last month, “This visit will solidify existing cooperation in trade, investment, and infrastructure while expanding the scope of collaboration into future promising fields such as AI and nuclear power.”
On the 3rd, President Lee will conclude his state visit to Singapore and head to Manila, Philippines. There, he is scheduled for a summit and state dinner with President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr., along with participating in a business forum and other events.
Spokesperson Kang Yu-jung emphasized the significance of this state visit by stating, “This visit will deepen practical cooperation in areas such as defense, infrastructure, and trade, and strengthen the foundation for collaboration in future promising fields such as nuclear power, shipbuilding, key minerals, and AI.”
Cheong Wa Dae revealed that this visit provides an opportunity to concretely implement the ‘CSP Vision’ announced last year. CSP Vision, introduced by President Lee in October last year at the Korea-ASEAN Summit in Malaysia, aims for South Korea to be a ‘Contributor’ achieving dreams and hopes, a ‘Springboard’ for growth and innovation, and a ‘Partner’ for peace and stability.
(Photo = Yonhap News)