LEGAZPI CITY – Members of the 10-man delegation from South Korea, led by Congressman Lee Hwa Soo, paid their courtesy call on City Mayor Noel E. Rosal at his office yesterday morning.

        Other city officials, including members of the City Council, were present to welcome the delegates from the Republic of Korea.

        According to Paolo Kang, spokesman of the group, the purpose of their visit is to promote cultural and trade ties with Legazpi City, a tourist city.

        In an interview, Paolo Kang said that there are 70, 000 foreign workers in Korea 50 percent of whom are Filipinos.

        He said that Congressman Lee, who is No. 6 among the 297 elected members of the National Assembly is a labor leader. Kang revealed that Korea has no Senate.

        Mayor Rosal said the Korean visitors were scheduled to have a luncheon meeting with groups of local business leaders at Hotel Venezia yesterday.

        After this activity, the delegates would like to visit the ongoing construction of the Bicol International Airport in Brgy. Alobo, Daraga, Albay to see if direct flights between Daraga, Albay and Seoul, Korea are possible. They also wanted to visit the Ports of Legazpi and Tabaco.

        The Korean visitors would also like to forge a sisterhood agreement with Legazpi City.

        As their souvenir items, each of 10 delegates were to be given “barong tagalog” by the City Mayor. The first to be fitted by a waiting tailor was the Korean Congressman.

        However, if all the “barong” will not be finished before departure time at 11:45 a.m. Tuesday, Rosal promised to bring them to Korea during his return visit.