S.Korean president to make state visit to Malaysia to boost ties 

KUALA LUMPUR, March 11 (Xinhua) -- South Korean President Moon Jae-in is set to make a three-day state visit to Malaysia to boost bilateral ties, the Malaysian Foreign Ministry said on Monday.

Moon is scheduled to meet with Malaysian King Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah and Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad on March 12-14, the ministry said in a statement.

Among issues to be discussed will be the upcoming 60th anniversary of the establishment of the diplomatic relations between the two countries in 2020 and the enhancement of ties between South Korea and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

"This state visit is expected to further reinvigorate Kuala Lumpur-Seoul ties and lay the new groundwork for the bilateral relations to flourish," it said.

Moon, together with Mahathir, will witness the signing of four Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) involving industrial cooperation, transportation, the development of a smart city in Malaysia and the halal food industry.

Bilateral trade between the two countries has grown from 15.76 billion U.S. dollars in 2017 to 17.98 billion U.S. dollars last year, with South Korea becoming Malaysia's 8th largest trading partner globally, the Malaysian Foreign Ministry said.