(LEAD) presidential envoy-UAE

(LEAD) Yoon's chief of staff begins visit to UAE as special presidential envoy

(ATTN: UPDATES with Army chief's visit to UAE in last 3 paras)

SEOUL, Dec. 11 (Yonhap) -- Presidential chief of staff Kim Dae-ki began a four-day visit to the United Arab Emirates on Sunday in his capacity as a special envoy of President Yoon Suk-yeol, the office said.

Kim will hold discussions with key UAE officials about ways to strengthen the special strategic partnership between the two countries, the office said in a notice to the press.

It is Kim's first overseas trip as the presidential chief of staff.

Kim is expected to pay a courtesy call on UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and discuss bilateral cooperation in the nuclear energy and other sectors.

In September, Yoon met with a UAE presidential envoy in Seoul and discussed ways to expand bilateral cooperation.

The envoy, Khaldoon Khalifa Al Mubarak, chairman of the Executive Affairs Authority of Abu Dhabi, proposed increasing cooperation in nuclear power, energy security, arms and investment.

Meanwhile, Army Chief of Staff Gen. Park Jeong-hwan is set to visit the UAE this week at the invitation of the Middle Eastern nation, his office said.

Park plans to promote South Korean high-tech weapons and strengthen bilateral military cooperation during talks with UAE officials. He will also visit a site where Chunmoo multiple rocket launchers, imported from the South, are in operation.

He, in addition, plans to meet with South Korean troops deployed in the UAE and Lebanon to encourage them.

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