The President will visit the Southeast Asian nations of Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand from Oct. 20 to 25, Cheong Wa Dae said on Wednesday (Oct. 14). First Lady Kim Yoon-ok will accompany the President.

From Oct. 20 to 23, the President will make a state visit to Vietnam and Cambodia, in that order, and then fly to Hua Hin, Thailand, to attend the Korea-ASEAN summit, the ASEAN+3 Summit, and the East Asia Summit (EAS), which will take place on Oct. 24 and 25, said the office.

By making this Southeast Asian tour, the Korean government is expected to boost practical cooperation with ASEAN members, which the incumbent administration considers the axis of its “new Asia diplomacy,” Cheong Wa Dae said.

The Korea-ASEAN summit in Thailand would further strengthen the cooperative relationships between the two, after the commemorative summit held on Jeju-do (Jeju Island) in June, according to the presidential office. President Lee will tackle such important issues as the global financial crisis and climate change with Asian leaders at the first ASEAN+3 and EAS meetings he would attend since his inauguration.

In the Vietnamese capital Hanoi, President Lee will meet with President Nguyen Minh Triet, secretary-general of the Communist Party Nong Duc Manh, and Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung. In Phnom Penh, Cambodia, he will pay a courtesy call to the King Norodom Sihamoni, and have a summit meeting with Prime Minister Hun Sen, according to Cheong Wa Dae.