President Michael Sata has ended his four-day working visit to South Korea where he attended the Third Africa-Korea Economic Cooperation Forum (KOAFEC).
The President departed Korea yesterday at 20:00 hours local time (13:00 hours Zambian time) aboard a Cathy Pacific commercial airline via Hong Kong and Dubai and is expected in Lusaka today at about 14: 30 hours.
President Sata is accompanied by the First Lady Dr Christine Kaseba, Foreign Affairs Minister Given Lubinda, Agriculture Minister Emmanuel Chenda, and Special Assistant for Press and Public Relations George Chellah.
Before visiting Korea, Sata also spent several days in Japan promoting foreign investment in Zambia.
He was seen off at Incheon International airport in Seoul by the Chief of Protocol for the Korean Government, Bae Jae Hyun and the Executive Vice President of Incheon Airport Management who is also a Professor at Korea Aerospace University, Young-Geun Lee.
President Sata held talks with Professor Young-Geun shortly before departure for Lusaka.
Several sources have indicated that Sata’s Asia tour was punctuated by alarming and erratic behaviour unusual for a head of state, including a number of missed appointments, threatening language, and undiplomatic demeanor. Sata’s entourage refused direct interviews from a number of Asian media houses, and allegedly sought to cover up the president’s odd conduct.