Prime Minister arrives in Argentina for official visit

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, left, inspects an honor guard with Argentine Foreign Minister Santiago Cafiero upon arrival at Buenos Aires Ministro Pistarini International Airport on Thursday. [YONHAP]

Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo arrived in Argentina on Thursday for an official visit, as Seoul seeks to deepen economic cooperation with the resource-rich Latin American nation.

Han's visit came as the two nations mark the 60th anniversary of establishing diplomatic ties.

On Friday, Han will hold talks with Argentina's President Alberto Fernandez, and they plan to discuss measures to improve cooperation in various fields, including economic security, according to Han's office.

Argentina boasts the world's third-largest lithium resources and the world's fourth-biggest producer of lithium. Korea imported about 40 percent of corn and some 33 percent of soybean oil from Argentina last year.

During talks with Fernandez, Han will also ask him to support Korea's bid to host the 2030 World Expo in the southern port city of Busan.

Argentina is the final leg of Han's three-nation trip that has already taken him to Chile and Uruguay.

Meanwhile, a group of senior business executives were accompanying Han on his trip to the Latin American nations to drum up support for Busan's bid for the expo.

Posco President Jeong Tak and Hyundai Motor Vice President Kim Dong-wook were among the executives.

Yonhap