1. A special envoy of the government of the Republic of Korea -- Jeon Hae-cheol, a member of the National Assembly -- attended the inauguration ceremony of President of the Federative Republic of Brazil Jair Messias Bolsonaro held in Brasilia, Brazil, on January 1, 2019. Special envoy Jeon was accompanied by another member of the National Assembly, Choi In-ho.

2. During its visit to Brazil, the special delegation met with new Foreign Minister of Brazil Ernesto Araújo on January 2 and relayed to him President Moon Jae-in’s message of hope to enhance the “comprehensive strategic partnership” between the ROK and Brazil, which mark the 60^th anniversary of diplomatic relations; and to meet with President Bolsonaro in the near future for a discussion on ways to promote bilateral relations.

° Special envoy Jeon, underscoring the importance of bilateral cooperation in economy, education and various other sectors, particularly asked Brazil to play an active role toward an early conclusion of a trade agreement (TA) between the ROK and the Southern Common Market (MERCOSUR).

° New Foreign Minister Araújo, bringing attention to new President Bolsonaro’s view of the ROK as a model country for the development of Brazil, highlighted commitment to bolstering cooperation between the two countries.

- Minister Araújo, sharing the special delegation’s view that the ROK-MERCOSUR TA could help boost substantive economic cooperation between the ROK and Brazil, voiced hope that the two countries would seek and conduct cooperation projects in various areas and thereby broaden the scope of cooperation.

3. Later in the day, the special delegation met with Chair of the Committee on Foreign Relations and National Defense of the Federal Senate Fernando Collor, asking for Brazil’s attention and support on the ROK-MERCOSUR TA negotiations and other key bilateral matters as well as efforts to achieve denuclearization and establish peace on the Korean Peninsula.

° Chair Collor, calling himself one of the founders of MERCOSUR, mentioned that he would support efforts to conclude an ROK-MERCOSUR TA.

4. Before attending the inauguration ceremony of new President Bolsonaro, the special delegation visited São Paulo, Brazil, where it met with 15 local Korean residents and representatives of Korean enterprises operating in the country on December 30 and offered encouragement to the local Korean community and the Korean companies operating there.

° In the meeting, special envoy Jeon shared with the other participants the positive changes made in the inter-Korean relations over the past year; offered encouragement to the local Korean community that marked the 55^th anniversary of immigration; and asked the community to play a role in spreading Hallyu (Korean wave) and cultivating the identity of younger Koreans in Brazil.

* unofficial translation