South Korean Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn left for Paris on Wednesday to mark the 130th anniversary of the country's diplomatic ties with France, which falls next year.

The five-day trip is Hwang's first official overseas trip since taking office in June.

Hwang will meet with his French counterpart, Manuel Valls, and attend the opening ceremony of the Museum of Decorative Arts upon arrival, according to the Prime Minister's Office.

Hwang's itinerary also includes a meeting with French President Francois Hollande on Saturday.

Hwang will also attend the opening ceremony of various Korean traditional and contemporary cultural events that are scheduled to run from Friday through August next year in France, it said.

In 2010, the two countries agreed to designate the period from the latter part of 2015 to the end of 2016 as "Years 2015-2016 of Korea-France Bilateral Exchanges" under which more than 200 cultural programs will be held in the two countries to allow citizens to experience each other's culture without having to travel. (Yonhap)