Myamar's Suu Kyi arrives in South Korea

 

Myanmar's opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi arrived in South Korea Monday for a four-day visit including meetings with politicians and a soap-opera star and the collection of a human rights award.

The democracy leader and Nobel peace laureate will also be guest of honour at the opening on Tuesday of the Special Winter Olympics in the northeastern mountain resort of Pyeongchang -- site of the full 2018 Winter Games.

Before leaving for Pyeongchang, she will hold talks with outgoing President Lee Myung-Bak and his successor Park Geun-Hye, who takes office next month as the country's first female president.

On Wednesday she will give the keynote speech at a Global Development Summit taking place on the sidelines of the Pyeongchang event.

The following day she will visit the southwestern city of Gwangju to receive a human rights award that commemorates a pro-democracy uprising against military dictatorship in the city in 1980.

Suu Kyi was actually awarded the prize back in 2004 but was unable to receive it as she was under house arrest at the time.

After a total of nearly two decades in home detention, she was freed in 2010 and elected to the Myanmar parliament last year.

On her return to Seoul late Thursday, she is scheduled to have dinner with TV actor Ahn Jae-Wook at a hotel, Yonhap news agency said.

Ahn, 43, starred in the 1997 TV drama "Star in My Heart" which was a big hit in  Myanmar.

On Friday Suu Kyi will deliver a speech at Seoul National University and accept an honorary doctorate. (AFP)

http://nwww.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20130128000842