Nat'l Assembly speaker to attend Beijing Olympics opening

SEOUL, Jan. 25 (Yonhap) -- Parliamentary Speaker Park Byeong-seug will visit China next month and attend the opening ceremony of the Beijing Winter Olympics, the National Assembly said Tuesday.

He is scheduled to visit Beijing from Feb. 3-6 at the invitation of Li Zhanshu, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress.

They will discuss ways to boost exchanges between the parliaments of the two countries, which mark the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations this year, the National Assembly said.

Park plans to attend the opening ceremony of the Olympics scheduled for Feb. 4. He will also participate in a luncheon hosted by Chinese President Xi Jinping and hold a meeting with South Korean residents in China.

Park's visit will be separate from the government's official delegation.

With President Moon Jae-in's attendance not under consideration, the government has reportedly been weighing Culture Minister Hwang Hee or Education Minister Yoo Eun-hae as the chief of its delegation.
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