W Nusa Tenggara 'Rising Star' For Tourists: S Korean Ambassador

MATARAM, W Nusa, May 30 (Antara) - Ambassador of South Korea Cho Tai-young said that Indonesia's province of West Nusa Tenggara has become 'the rising star' tourism destination for the people of South Korea. "West Nusa Tenggara has progressed a lot and its beauty has astonished me," said the Ambassador, who was accompanied by his wife Cho Gye-young, while visiting the West Nusa Tenggara Governor TGH Muhammad Zainul Majdi in the Governor Pavilion in Mataram, Monday. He believed that West Nusa Tenggara, especially the island of Lombok, is such a beautiful area, so much that it has become a popular destination among South Korean tourists. "It has even become the rising star destination for the people of South Korea," he affirmed. Ambassador Tai-young stated that his visit to West Nusa Tenggara is in order to convey the plan of the South Korean President who wants to build a closer diplomacy with Indonesia. Previously, South Korea had four representatives in a number of countries across the world, until the country decided to add another one for Indonesia. "The government of South Korea had chosen to place a representative in Indonesia as it is the largest country in the ASEAN region," he remarked. Other than visiting the Governor of West Nusa Tenggara, the Ambassador is also scheduled to meet with the Head of the West Nusa Tenggara Chamber of Commerce during the three day visit, as well as giving a public lecture in the Mataram University and visiting the Tuna leisure forest in the Central Lombok sub-district. Meanwhile, Governor of West Nusa Tenggara M Zainul Majdi expressed his interest and said that he had been inspired by a number of development programs in South Korea that could possibly be implemented in West Nusa Tenggara, including the development of forestry. One of the programs they had implemented, he continued, is the development of Olle, which is an aesthetically pleasing pathway that is being constructed in the Special Economic Zone of Mandalika Resort. The Governor, accompanied by his Assistant for Economy Development Chaerul Mahsul expressed his gratitude towards the South Korean government for including West Nusa Tenggara in the list of its industry complex. "I would like to express my appreciation and West Nusa will be more than happy to take on the project," he said. Furthermore, he is confident that the South Korean President is serious in materializing the industry complex, and in terms of further developing the forestry sector, the West Nusa Tenggara government can learn so much from South Korea. "One of the things we have implemented is the construction of Olle in the Mandalika Resort. We were inspired by the Olle in Jeju, where tourists can enjoy the natural beauty simply by walking or riding on a bicycle," he concluded.