PM embarks on trip to Turkey, Qatar

Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum embarked on a five-day trip to Turkey and Qatar on Thursday to discuss ways to strengthen diplomatic ties and expand economic cooperation.

Kim will visit Turkey from Thursday to Saturday during which he will attend the opening ceremony of the 1915 Canakkale Bridge following an invitation from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

The 1915 Canakkale Bridge in northwestern Turkey is the world's longest suspension bridge with a 2,023-meter span between its towers, built by South Korean and Turkish firms.

He is also scheduled to meet with Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay and hold a meeting with businessmen there.

Kim's trip to Turkey marks the first in nine years by a South Korean prime minister.

From Saturday to Sunday, Kim will be in Qatar, where he will meet with his counterpart, Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdul Aziz Al Thani.

During his two-day stay in the Middle East nation, Kim will seek to expand cooperation in the energy field, according to his office. Qatar is the largest supplier of liquefied natural gas (LNG) to South Korea.

Kim will return home Monday.

Kim's overseas trip came amid soaring virus cases in South Korea, where daily infections have surpassed 600,000 due to the omicron variant.

"I feel very heavy as I depart the country amid a grave COVID-19 situation," Kim wrote on his Facebook page. "I will not waste even one second of time." (Yonhap)