South Korean PM meets Sri Lankan president on visit

South Korean Prime Minister Chung Hong-Won met the Sri Lankan president for bilateral discussions on Friday during an official visit aimed at boosting relations and investment. The three-day official visit from 28-30 August also saw the prime minister visiting new areas on development in the island including a visit to the freshly expanded Colombo port, which is now the deepest harbor in South Asia. Chung and Rajapaksa discussed investment and trade opportunities, including the high number of Sri Lankan migrant workers in South Korea according to the President's Office. On Thursday the prime minister signed an agreement that will enable Sri Lanka to use South Korean technology to protect its environment including water resources. "The Korea- Sri Lanka Environmental Cooperation Forum also embodies with strong commitment and determination of the Korean government. Korea will share its knowledge on the management on environmental issues and will explore new avenues for further cooperation in this field. The companies that are present here already have ongoing environmental projects in Sri Lanka or have plans to," he told the gathering at the signing ceremony. This is the first official visit of prime minister of the Republic of Korea since the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries in 1977. The South Korean prime minister's visit is a direct follow-up to the discussions at a summit meeting held by the Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa with his Korean counterpart during his state visit to Seoul in April 2012.