Former South Korean President Lee Myung-bak will visit the United States this week at the invitation of former American President George W. Bush, his first overseas trip since leaving office in February, aides said Monday.

Lee is scheduled to depart on Tuesday to attend the dedication of the George W. Bush Presidential Center at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas. While in office, Lee had a close relationship with the former American president.

U.S. President Barack Obama reportedly plans to attend the ceremony too.

After the ceremony, Lee also plans to attend a meeting with South Korean residents there.

The trip comes amid a series of troubles surrounding Lee’s legacy, including a government probe into a massive project to refurbish the country’s four major rivers, one of Lee’s trademark projects. The government of his successor Park Geun-hye has pledged a transparent and objective probe.

The project was one of the most contentious projects when Lee was in office.

His administration pushed for it in an attempt to prevent floods and promote tourism along the rivers, but environmental activists and the opposition party have long accused it of causing irreversible environmental damage.

Other troubles involve allegations that the country’s main spy agency, the National Intelligence Service, attempted to engineer public opinions ahead of last year’s presidential election. The then agency chief, Won Se-hoon, who is a close Lee confidant, could face questioning.

Lee has also found himself in trouble after allegations surfaced recently that he played tennis at a state-run indoor court in Seoul after the operator blocked ordinary users from making reservations for times when Lee was scheduled to play. (Yonhap News)