Ruling party interim chief to attend Brazilian president's inauguration

Brazil's President-elect, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, claps during a press conference on the final report on the transition and to announce 16 ministers of his future government, in Brasilia, Brazil, Dec. 22. (EPA)

A special delegation led by the ruling People Power Party’s interim chief, Chung Jin-suk, will attend the inauguration ceremony of Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Jan. 1, the presidential office said Wednesday.

Chung will deliver a letter from President Yoon Suk-yeol expressing his expectation to “work closely with the new Brazilian government to further deepen and develop the comprehensive cooperative partnership” between the two countries.

Elected for the third term in October, da Silva led Brazil between 2003 and 2010.

The office said the special delegation will also use the visit to encourage Koreans and companies residing in the country and carry out promotions for its 2030 Busan World Expo bid.

Brazil, Latin America’s largest country, is a long-standing ally of Korea, and was the first to establish diplomatic relations with Seoul among Latin American nations.

Brazil is also Korea’s No. 1 investment destination in Latin America and has the largest Korean community in the region. The year 2023 marks the 60th anniversary of Korean immigration to Brazil.

By Shin Ji-hye(shinjh@heraldcorp.com)