April 11th According to Yonhap News Agency, on the 11th, South Korean Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun took a presidential plane (Air Force One) at Seoul Airport and set out for Tehran, Iran, for a visit. He will leave Iran on the 12th and return to South Korea via Uzbekistan on the 13th.
This is the second visit of the South Korean Prime Minister to Iran after 44 years. Chung Sye-kyun is likely to resign for the 20th president in 2022 after returning home from his visit to Iraq, so this will be his last visit under Prime Minister. It is reported that Chung Sye-kyun intended to resign as early as the end of 2020, but considering the epidemic prevention and control situation, as well as the by-election of local councilors and local government leaders on April 7 was postponed.
During his visit to Iran, Chung Sye-kyun will meet with senior Iraqi officials to discuss bilateral cooperation and the freezing of Iranian funds in South Korea. According to an earlier report by South Korean media, under the influence of U.S. sanctions against Iran, the $7 billion of Iran’s oil exports has been frozen in two banks in South Korea. South Korea has previously proposed a variety of solutions to consult with Iran.
Specifically, on the day Chung Sye-kyun arrived in Iraq, he will hold talks with Iran’s First Vice President Eshag Jahangiri, and jointly introduce the results of the talks to reporters after the meeting.
The next day, Chung Sye-kyun will meet with Mohamed Bagheir Kalibaf, Speaker of the Iranian Parliament, and Ali Larijani, the Supreme Leader Adviser. In addition, South Korea and Iran are coordinating on the arrangement of Chung Sye-kyun’s visit to President Hassan Rouhani.
