Australian PM to visit South Korea in April

Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott will visit South Korea next month for summit talks with President Park Geun-hye and the signing of a free trade agreement between the countries, Park's office said Tuesday. Abbott, who is due to arrive in Seoul on April 8 for a two-day official visit, will meet with Park on the same day to discuss developments in their countries' bilateral ties and ways to further boost their relations, the office said in a press release. The meeting is expected to focus on ways to strengthen cooperation in the political, economic and cultural spheres, as well as regional and global issues, including the political situation on the Korean Peninsula. Park and Abbott also aim to formally sign a bilateral free trade agreement reached last December. The trade pact is expected to expand bilateral trade and investment and promote the level of cooperation between the two countries, according to the office. It will be the second meeting between Park and Abbott after their first meeting on the sidelines of a regional summit in Brunei last October.