President Yoon Suk-yeol to meet United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres Friday

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres speaks during a press conference at the UN headquarters in New York Wednesday. [YONHAP]

President Yoon Suk-yeol will meet with United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres Friday, the presidential office announced Monday. Guterres is scheduled to visit South Korea from Thursday to Friday.

“Secretary-General Guterres’ visit to South Korea is his first since he attended the opening ceremony of the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics,” said presidential spokesperson Kang In-sun during a press briefing at the presidential office in Yongsan, central Seoul, Monday.

During his visit, Guterres will attend a luncheon with Yoon and is also expected to meet with other senior government officials to discuss the North Korean nuclear issue and denuclearization measures.

“International issues, including the situation in Northeast Asia, and the status of preparations for the UN General Assembly to be held in New York next month are expected to be discussed,” added Kang.

Yoon and Guterres spoke in June by phone when the latter congratulated the South Korean president on his inauguration.

Guterres will be accompanied on his visit to South Korea by UN officials including Under-Secretary-General for Disarmament Affairs Izumi Nakamitsu.

Guterres, formerly prime minister of Portugal from 1995 to 2002, has served as secretary-general of the UN since January 2017. He succeeded South Korea’s Ban Ki-moon as the ninth person to hold the title and the first European to hold office since Kurt Waldheim of Austria in 1981.

BY LIM JEONG-WON [lim.jeongwon@joongang.co.kr]