18 November 2015•Update: 18 November 2015
SEOUL
An Anadolu Agency delegation paid a visit to the Turkish embassy in Seoul on Wednesday, during which board members discussed its goal of expanding in the Asia Pacific region.
Agency Deputy Director General Metin Mutanoglu told Ambassador Arslan Hakan Dincer that the expansion would include Northeast and Southeast Asian countries.
"The agency has reinforced cooperation with Yonhap news agency to convey South Korean news in a strong way and also been conducting efforts to take news from the field more effectively," said Mutanoglu.
Okcal, meanwhile, underlined that the Asia Pacific region had rapidly come to the forefront of the world economy, and news coverage by both South Korea and Turkey had also gained importance.
"Anadolu Agency's presence will strengthen the region and contribute to bilateral relations," Okcal said.
The delegation has been in Seoul since Monday as part of a two-day meeting with the Organization of Asia-Pacific News Agencies (OANA).
Accompanying Mutanoglu were Foreign Affairs Manager Ercan Gocer and Foreign News Editor Ogun Duru.
As part of its trip, the delegation visited the Korean Muslim Federation headquarters in Seoul Central Mosque, during which Federation Chair Choi Younghil Hameed talked of the large Muslim presence in South Korea.
Of the South's 130,000 Muslims, he said 30,000 are of Korean descent, while there are 15 mosques and 65 masjids -- prayer rooms -- across the country.
"Our biggest issue in South Korea is the lack of Islamic education institutes," said Hameed, adding that he hoped to get assistance from Turkey's institute of religious affairs.
During its trip, the delegation also met with academics, lecturers and students from Korean private research faculty the Hankuk University of Foreign Studies.
