Prime Minister Modi will also be conferred with the 2018 Seoul Peace Prize.
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will pay a two-day visit to South Korea next week during which he will hold talks with President Moon Jae-in on a host of issues to strengthen strategic ties, and also be conferred with the Seoul Peace Prize.
The prime minister will arrive in Seoul on February 21 on a visit that will provide an important occasion for the two leaders to review the recent developments in bilateral relations, the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement.
Vijay Thakur Singh, Secretary (East) in the Ministry of External Affairs, said though the visit is barely for 30 hours, it is packed with a number of engagements scheduled with the South Korean leadership, businesses and other stakeholders.
It will also provide an opportunity to exchange views on regional and international issues of common interest with the objective of further strengthening the special strategic partnership between the two countries based on shared values and interests, the statement said.
On February 21, PM Modi will address India-Korea Business Symposium and also launch India-Korea start-up hub. He will also unveil the bust of Mahatma Gandhi at a varsity in Seoul, Mr Singh said.
The next day he will hold talks with the Korean president.
During the visit, Prime Minister Modi will also be conferred with the 2018 Seoul Peace Prize at a ceremony to be organised by the Seoul Peace Prize Cultural Foundation on February 22, in recognition of his national and international contributions.
The visit is part of the new momentum in high-level exchanges between India and South Korea which witnessed the visit of President Moon to India for a bilateral summit in July 2018 and the participation of the Korean First Lady Kim Jung-sook at the Deepotsav event in Ayodhya in November 2018, the ministry said.
The visit will further demonstrate the priority India attaches to deepening multi-dimensional engagement with South Korea as a part of its ''Act East Policy'', it said.