Korean Foreign Minister to visit NZ

South Korean Foreign Minister, Yu Myung-hwan, will visit New Zealand this weekend, Foreign Minister Murray McCully said today.

"Minister Yu's visit offers an important opportunity to further cement New Zealand's relationship with South Korea," Mr McCully said.

"South Korea is our sixth-largest export market, and the timeframe for starting negotiations towards a free trade agreement (FTA) will be a key part of my discussions with Minister Yu on Sunday.

"Talks will also focus on how we can strengthen cooperation between New Zealand and South Korea on regional and global security issues, as well as ways to improve bilateral links, particularly in areas such as science and education," Mr McCully said.

The most recent high-level visitor from Korea was Minister Yu In-chon, who signed a film co-production treaty with New Zealand last September.