President Park Geun-hye is seeking to capitalize on diplomatic and economic achievements from her groundbreaking visit to Iran to push forward stalled domestic reforms.
Park secured Iran's support for denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula during talks with her Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani earlier this week in Tehran -- the first summit between the leaders of the two countries in more than half a century.
She also met with Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in a symbolic gesture that underscored bilateral commitment to further strengthening relations.
Iran maintains traditionally friendly ties with North Korea and the two countries have long been suspected of cooperating in missile and nuclear programs.
Still, President Rouhani voiced his country's opposition to nuclear development on the Korean Peninsula in a joint news conference with Park on Monday, in an apparent reference to North Korea's ongoing nuke program.
"I think it is very rare and meaningful for Iran to clearly and publicly express its stance on the issue," Park said in a meeting with members of the press on the flight back to Seoul from Tehran.
Park said her trip created wiggle room for South Korea and Iran to cooperate for denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula, progress given Tehran's traditional friendly ties with North Korea.
Despite headway made by Park on the diplomatic front, there is lingering speculation in Seoul that North Korea could carry out a fifth nuclear test to mark a rare congress of the ruling Workers' Party scheduled to kickoff Friday.
The president also garnered potential economic gains from the trip as she and Rouhani observed the signing of nearly 20 out of 66 memorandums of understanding worth up to $45.6 billion.
Seoul hopes the MOUs pave the way for South Korean companies to eventually win massive infrastructure projects under way in Iran.
The resource rich country has emerged as a promising destination for foreign investment after the U.N. lifted sanctions in the follow-up to a landmark deal reached with the United States and five world powers over Tehran's disputed nuclear program.
Park expressed hope that her trip could create a new momentum for a "second Middle East boom," referring to potential business opportunities in Iran.
In the 1970s, many Koreans sent home hard-earned cash by working at construction sites in the Middle East region, which officials called the first Middle East boom. It helped South Korea transform itself into an economic powerhouse from the ashes of the 1950-53 Korean War.
Buoyed by diplomatic and economic achievements, Park is expected to hold meetings with new leaders of the three major political parties.
Last week, Park said the meeting could take place soon after her trip to Iran, though she did not set a specific time frame.
The meeting could set the tone for Park's relations with the new parliament set to begin its term on May 30.
On Wednesday, the president sent potted orchids to Chung Jin-suk and Kim Gwang-lim, the new floor leader and the chief policymaker of Park’s ruling Saenuri Party, to congratulate them on their new posts through her aide.
Last week, Park also sent similar orchids to the new floor leader and the policymaker of the minor opposition People's Party.
Park's ruling Saenuri Party suffered a crushing defeat in last month's parliamentary elections, a result that will compel the president to seek compromise with opposition parties for parliamentary endorsement of a set of bills.
Cheong Wa Dae, South Korea's presidential office, said Park's latest diplomatic and economic feat could give a much-needed boost to the chief executive.
A poll, conducted by a local pollster R&Search on Sunday, showed that Park's job approval rating came to 32.9 percent, up 2.9 percentage points from a week earlier. (Yonhap)
