SOUTH Korean President Lee Myung-bak is on a two-day state visit in the country which began yesterday.

The Korean top official arrived at the NAIA Centennial Terminal 2’s Bay 49 on board a Special flight from Seoul.

Officials from the Korean Embassy and representatives of the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Manila International Airport Authority [MIAA] welcomed the arrival of Lee Myung-bak and his delegates.

President Benigno Aquino and the Korean leader are expected to hold talks on trade and investment, including the welfare of overseas Filipino workers in South Korea, and tourism, education, and health.

Included in the itinerary of the Lee-Myung-bak are a visit to a war memorial, meeting with South Koreans in the Philippines, and participation in a Korea-Philippines Business Forum organized by Philippines and Korean Chambers of Commerce and Industry.

Koreans account for the highest number of foreigners visiting the country while a large number are residents. 

Based on the statistics issued by the Bureau of Immigration, previous year showed that the number of Korean tourists in the country reached 740,000 or 21 percent of all foreign tourists in 2010.