Korea to dispatch condolence delegation to UAE

South Korea will dispatch a delegation to the United Arab Emirates on Monday to express in-person condolences on the death of the country’s President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed al-Nahyan, the presidential office said Sunday.

Sheikh Khalifa, who took over as the UAE president in 2004, succeeding his father, died on Friday aged 73.

The delegation consists of Yoon’s chief of staff Chang Je-won, Korean Ambassador to the UAE Lee Seok-gu and Foreign Ministry senior officials.

“Our condolence delegation will meet the bereaved family, including the new President Mohamed bin Zayed al-Nahyan on Monday and deliver condolences of President Yoon Suk-yeol and Korean people,” the presidential office said in a written statement.

President Yoon conveyed his condolences over Sheikh Khalifa’s death through a telegram on Saturday, and expressed his appreciation toward the late president for upgrading the Korea-UAE relationship to a special strategic partnership during his leadership.

Earlier on May 10, Yoon met with Khaldoon al-Mubarak, chairman of the Executive Affairs Authority of Abu Dhabi, touting the “very important” relationship between the two countries. Al-Mubarak noted that Sheikh Khalifa sent his warm congratulations.

By Shin Ji-hye (shinjh@heraldcorp.com)