South Korean President Moon Jae-in was set to attend the annual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit and hold bilateral talks with the leaders of China and Vietnam on Saturday.

After a visit to Indonesia, Moon arrived here on Friday, the second stop in his three-nation Southeast Asia trip, which will take him to Manila, the Philippines, on Sunday.

Moon will hold his first summit with Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang in the morning, to discuss ways to boost trade and improve overall ties.

Leaders from the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum, including South Korean President Moon Jae-in (far L, front), and their spouses pose for a group photo prior to a gala dinner at a hotel in the central Vietnamese city of Danang on Nov. 10, 2017. The two-day APEC summit was kickstarted with an informal dialogue between the 21 APEC economic leaders. (Yonhap) (END)

Vietnam is the third-largest importer of South Korean products. In the first seven months of the year, South Korean exports to Vietnam came to US$26.95 billion, spiking 49.8 percent from the same period last year, according to data released by the Korean Customs Service.

In Jakarta, Moon unveiled his New South Policy aimed at greatly improving Seoul's diplomatic and economic relations with the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

Moon has emphasized ties with Southeast Asian countries which have emerged as a locomotive of global growth and can play important roles for the peaceful resolution of the North Korean nuclear issue. All ASEAN countries have diplomatic ties with the reclusive North.

The South Korean leader is scheduled to attend the annual East Asia Summit, slated to be held in Manila next week, involving ASEAN states and its regional partner countries. It will be followed by a separate forum hosted by ASEAN.

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