President Park Geun-hye will send the ruling party's floor leader to Guatemala this week for a presidential inauguration ceremony, the Foreign Ministry said Monday.

Rep. Won Yoo-chul of the Saenuri Party plans to attend President-elect Jimmy Morales' inauguration set for Thursday.

Won is scheduled to meet with "top-level" officials of the incoming Guatemalan administration and deliver South Korea's resolve to deepen bilateral ties, said the ministry.

The two sides have maintained close partnerships in various sectors since forging diplomatic relations in 1962, it noted.

Guatemala has constantly backed Seoul's position on the North Korean nuclear issue and inter-Korean relations. As to the North's latest nuclear test last week, it immediately issued a statement denouncing the provocation.

Speaking to reporters at the National Assembly, Won said he will leave for the Latin American nation Tuesday and return home next Monday.

(Yonhap)