Australian PM in Korea

The Australian Prime Minister, John Howard, has begun a three-day visit to South Korea, where he's due to meet the country's President, Kim Dae-jung, later today .

Correspondents say discussions between the two leaders are likely to focus on bilateral relations, especially trade links between the countries, as well as Seoul's preparations for next month's summit with North Korea.

Earlier this month, Australia restored its diplomatic relations with North Korea after a break of twenty-five years.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service