South Korean president calls Modi, hopes to expand ties

South Korean President Park Geun-Hye Tuesday spoke with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and hoped that the strategic partnership between the two countries will expand under his leadership.

Park congratulated Modi on his victory in the elections during the telephonic conversation and invited him to visit South Korea, said a statement from the Prime Minister's Office.

She recalled with appreciation Modi's association with South Korea as Gujarat chief minister and expressed confidence that the strategic partnership "between the two countries will expand in all areas under his leadership".

The statement said the phone call was initiated by the Korean side.

It said Park thanked India for its gift of a sapling of the sacred Bodhi tree and for the visa-on-arrival facility.

She expressed support and appreciation for India's role and standing in world affairs and in the international community.

Modi thanked Park for her warm felicitations and accepted "with pleasure" the invitation to visit South Korea.

Modi hoped to work together with Park and her government for common interest and benefit of the two countries and mankind.

"(The) prime minister welcomed greater economic engagement between the two countries and hoped to achieve more substantive and all-round progress in our partnership in the years to come," the release said.