| Park Geun-hye | Enrique Pena Nieto |
By Yi Whan-woo
President Park Geun-hye's first official visit to Mexico from April 2 to 5 comes amid the rising international concerns over North Korea's nuclear threats, as well as the increasing trade between South Korea and Mexico and the growing popularity of "hallyu" or the Korean cultural wave in the Latin American country.
"In this climate, Park's travel to Mexico will be noteworthy, as the two nations will have a chance to reaffirm their diplomatic relations in relation to nuclear security," a Ministry of Foreign Affairs official said on condition of anonymity this week. "Both sides also will be able discuss ways to bolster their cooperation on the economy and various sectors."
According to Cheong Wa Dae, Park is expected to discuss Pyongyang's nuclear program and other security issues on the Korean Peninsula during a bilateral summit with Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto on April 4.
The two leaders could also discuss bilateral cooperation on the effective implementation of U.N. Security Council (UNSC) Resolution 2270, which was imposed on March 2 in response to North Korea's latest nuclear test in January and subsequent long-range rocket launch in February.
Mexico, along with four other countries, condemned North Korea for its January nuclear test in a statement issued by MIKTA, a consultative forum of five middle-power countries ― Mexico, Indonesia, Korea, Turkey and Australia. Launched in September 2013, the forum aims to address the member countries' shared values and interests and to convey them to the broader international community, such as through the U.N.
In its own statement, Mexico also denounced the Kim Jong-un regime for its long-range rocket in February, in addition its purported test of a hydrogen bomb a month earlier, according to the South Korean government
South Korea and Mexico are both members of the G20 and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). In addition, Mexico is South Korea's largest trading partner in Latin America, with their trading volume reaching $14.12 billion in 2014. The government data shows that some 1,600 South Korean companies, including leading conglomerates such as Samsung, LG and POSCO, operate in Mexico.
"The bilateral summit on April 4 will extensively deal with the participation of South Korean companies in the energy, transportation and public infrastructure sectors, and also with the cooperation in prospective industries that can serve as next growth engines, such as information and communications technology, science and technology, health, public safety and education," Cheong Wa Dae said in a press release.
It said cultural issues will also be on the summit's agenda.
"Hallyu" is gaining popularity in many Latin American countries, including Mexico. K-pop, which triggered hallyu with TV series in the late 1990s, is still big in Mexico, with the number of K-pop fan clubs reaching 80 in 2015, according to the foreign ministry's Korea Foundation.
The government also cited that over 19,000 Mexican K-pop fans filled the Arena Ciudad de Mexico in Mexico City for South Korean idol band Big Bang in October last year.