Crown Prince Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz, Deputy Prime Minister and Commander of the National Guard, was received today by President of South Korea Kim Tae-chung, to whom he conveyed greetings from Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd Ibn Abdul Aziz. The Crown Prince went on to highlight the friendly relations that exist between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Republic of South Korea. During their meeting, a number of Arab and international issues were reviewed. Speaking at the luncheon reception, President Kim Tae-chung noted that Saudi-Korean relations date back to 1962, and referred to the Middle East as an important region for global security and peace. He praised the efforts exerted by the Kingdom for settlement of the Syrian-Turkish dispute, and expressed appreciation for the assistance extended to South Korea by Saudi Arabia over the years. Since 1970 Koreans have been going to Saudi Arabia for work, and a number of Korean companies have contributed to the construction of roads in the Kingdom.

Crown Prince Abdullah reiterated the Kingdom's concern to enhance relations with South Korea, and noted that the positive atmosphere in which his talks with the Prime Minister had been held provided clear evidence of their mutual interest in reinforcing bilateral relations in the economic and political spheres.
Yesterday, the Crown Prince held extensive talks with Prime Minister of South Korea Kim Chong-pil which were attended by Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal and his South Korean counterpart Hong Sun-yong. Further talks included other members of Crown Prince Abdullah's accompanying delegation and senior officials of the South Korean government.
Later, Prime Minister Kim Chong-pil held a dinner party here in honor of Crown Prince Abdullah, and referred to the "sincere and frank" talks they had had, describing the Kingdom as the "center and heart" of every Muslim in the world, and praising the development it has witnessed.
The Crown Prince, for his part, expressed the hope that cooperation between the two countries would forge bilateral relations compatible with the international status of the two countries, saying: "What is most important is that the Kingdom views South Korea not only as a trade partner but seeks to enhance this partnership through the transfer of Korean technology and establishing relations on firm bases according to a strategic perspective serving the interests of the two countries in the long term in all economic, commercial and investment fields, particularly cooperation in the field of oil and oil products and granting a large share to Saudi exports in the Korean market." He said his visit to Korea gives him an opportunity to consult with the Korean leadership on a number of regional and international issues affecting security and peace in the world.
Referring to the Middle East peace process, he highlighted the Israeli role in the current impasse and the deterioration of the peace situation in the region and remarked that any effort South Korea could make would be appreciated, to push Israel to accept peace in the region in accordance with the Oslo and Madrid agreements.

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