SEOUL (Reuters) – Possible U.S. presidential candidate Ron DeSantis called on Wednesday for greater cooperation with South Korea as he visited Seoul on the second leg of a trip seen aimed at burnishing his foreign policy credentials for a presidential run.
DeSantis, in a meeting with Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, vowed support for South Korean companies and exchanges between the state of Florida, of which he is governor, and South Korean counterparts, Han’s office said.
South Korea was a key partner for Florida’s economy and job creation, Han’s office cited DeSantis as saying. Han called for the governor’s support for South Korean companies in Florida.
The visit is officially part of a four-country trade mission.
DeSantis is expected to make an official announcement later this year that he will run for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination.
His visit comes as South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol is in Washington for a summit with President Joe Biden, accompanied by more than 120 South Korean business leaders.
DeSantis met Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in Tokyo before his stop in Seoul. He will next visit Israel and Britain.
(Reporting by Soo-hyang Choi; Editing by Robert Birsel)
