(LEAD) PM-Europe visit
(LEAD) PM to visit Britain for King Charles III's coronation on 4-nation European trip
(ATTN: UPDATES with PM Han's remarks in paras 3,12)
By Kim Han-joo
SEOUL, May 2 (Yonhap) -- Prime Minister Han Duck-soo will make a weeklong trip to Europe starting this week that includes stops in Britain for King Charles III's coronation, as well as Sweden, Austria and Romania, his office said Tuesday.
Han will first stop in London, where he will attend the coronation ceremony at Westminster Abbey on Saturday, and meet with leaders from various countries to ask for their support for Seoul's bid to host the 2030 World Expo in the southeastern port city of Busan.
"Both countries share universal values, which is why the president attended the funeral," Han told reporters, referring to President Yoon Suk-yeol's attendance at the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II last September.
"However, due to conflicting schedules, the decision was made for the prime minister to attend the coronation instead," he said.
Han will also attend a reception at Buckingham Palace, hosted by King Charles, on Friday, the office said.
The trip will then take Han to Stockholm for two days, where he will hold talks with his Swedish counterpart, Ulf Kristersson, and discuss regional security issues surrounding the Korean Peninsula and bilateral cooperation.
Sweden provided a field hospital during the 1950-53 Korean War and is a member of the Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission, which inspects the Armistice Agreement that halted the war.
Han is expected to ask Sweden for its continued support for peace on the Korean Peninsula.
He will then visit Vienna, where he will hold talks with Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer.
Nehammer previously requested Han's official visit, as the two countries commemorated the 130th anniversary of establishing diplomatic ties in 2022.
The visit will then conclude in Bucharest, where Han will meet with his Romanian counterpart, Nicolae Ionel Ciuca, to discuss infrastructure, the defense industry and other areas.
Romania invited Han to mark the 15th anniversary of elevating the strategic partnership between the two countries.
Han also said the four-nation trip will serve as an opportunity to secure the international community's support for Busan's bid to host the 2030 World Expo.
(END)
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