문대통령, 6월 21일부터 23일 러시아 국빈 방문
Fans of the beautiful game are counting the hours until kick off in Russia, as we inch closer to the 2018 World Cup.
In light of the global sporting event, President Moon Jae-in will be visiting the host country.
According to our Hwang Hojun, he'll have a lot more on his plate than just football.
He will be the first sitting South Korean President to visit the Kremlin in 19 years.
The Blue House announced on Friday that President Moon Jae-in will fly out to the Russian Federation on June 21st for a state visit.
He'll have a summit meeting with President Putin and attend a dinner banquet, and the two leaders will reaffirm their commitment to developing future-oriented bilateral relations.
This will be the third time the two leaders have met in person since President Moon took office.
While the date of the summit with President Putin is yet to be determined, the Blue House said the meeting will likely cover ways to promote substantial cooperation between Seoul and Moscow, including the expansion of future growth engines.
"The summit talks with President Putin will strengthen the friendship and trust between the two leaders... and thereby expand practical cooperation with Russia,... which is the center of our New Northern Policy.
Also on the agenda will be the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.
"It will also be an opportunity for us to reinforce our bilateral strategic communication and collaboration in the process of building peace on the Peninsula."
The New Northern Policy is one of the Moon administration's key diplomatic policies to expand South Korea's diplomatic and economic horizon with its Eurasian neighbors.
President Moon, while in Moscow, will also deliver a speech at the State Duma, the lower house of Russia's Federal Assembly, becoming the first South Korean president ever to do so.
In addition, the President will meet with key Russian officials, including Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev.
After wrapping up his itinerary in the Russian capital, President Moon will fly to the southwestern port city of Rostov-On-Don to cheer on the South Korean national football team in their World Cup match against Mexico.
During his visit, President Moon will also take time to encourage local Korean residents as well as Russian nationals who have contributed to South Korea-Russia relations.
The South Korean President will return back to Seoul on the 23rd.
Hwang Hojun, Arirang News.
