Pahad is scheduled to pay official visits to South Korea, China and North Korea from September 19-28.
He will hold bilateral political and economic discussions with his South Korean, Chinese and North Korean counterparts, Vice Minister Lee Tae-sik, Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs Dai Bingguo and Vice-Minister CHOE Su Hon respectively.
In China, Pahad will also hold discussions with Assistant Foreign Minister LU Guozen and is also scheduled to pay a courtesy call on the President of the Presidium, Kim Yong Nam in North Korea.
The visit comes within the context of South Africa's commitment to strengthen bilateral relations with all countries of the South in an attempt to create the conditions for the development agenda of the South to be achieved, said the Foreign Affairs Department.
Issues that the leaders will discuss during the meetings are expected to include the status of bilateral political and economic relations between South Africa and each of the countries, the developments within the south-east Asia region as well as other issues of mutual interest.
Pahad will also brief his counterparts on developments in Africa and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region.
Meanwhile, South Africa has healthy economic relations with each of the three countries.
Bilateral economic trade relations between South Africa and South Korea have been increasing yearly with Seoul presently being South Africa's fourth largest trading partner in Asia and South Africa being Korea's largest trading partner in Africa.
Total trade between the two countries amounted to $1,1-billion US dollars in 2003.
South Africa is also China's key trade partner in Africa accounting for 20.8 percent of the total volume of China-Africa trade.
China has set up more than 80 companies in South Africa since 1998 and Chinese foreign direct investment (FDI) to South Africa amounted (cumulatively) to about $199,3-million, while South African FDI into China amounted to about $700-million - excluding offshore investments from South African corporates such as SAB Miller and Anglo American. - BuaNews
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