Ex-President Lee considers U.S. visit for dedication of George W. Bush center

Former South Korean President Lee Myung-bak is considering visiting the United States next month to attend the dedication ceremony of the George W. Bush Presidential Center, a source said Tuesday.

Lee, whose five-year term ended at the end of February, received an invitation from former U.S. President George W. Bush to attend the dedication ceremony slated for April 25 at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas, said the source close to Lee, asking that he not be identified. 

The center is home to the George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum and the George W. Bush Institute, with the library and museum set to open to the public on May 1, according to the center’s Web site.

“Only a limited number of people from around the world have been invited, so (Lee) is positively considering the visit,” the source said.

U.S. President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle, and other former presidents and their spouses have also been invited, according to the Web site.

Lee and Bush are reported to have developed close personal ties during their terms in office.

Less than two months after his inauguration in February 2008, Lee visited Camp David, a presidential retreat on the outskirts of Washington, for a summit with Bush. They also rode on a golf cart there in front of photographers and television crew from the two nations.

Meanwhile, incumbent South Korean President Park Geun-hye is scheduled to visit the United States on her first overseas trip as president, with the date likely to be set for early May. (Yonhap News)