South Korean President Lee Myung-bak arrived in Colombia on Saturday to make a final push for a free trade deal between the two countries and to pay tribute to the nation for fighting alongside the South during the Korean War.

South Korea and Colombia are in the final stages of free trade talks and Lee's trip is expected to provide the negotiations with important momentum, officials have said. That raised speculation the trade talks could be concluded during Lee's three-day visit to Bogota.

Lee and Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos are scheduled to hold a summit on Monday to discuss ways to deepen all-round cooperation, especially in areas such as trade and investment, infrastructure construction and resources development, science and technology, and development cooperation, officials said.

Colombia was the only nation in Central and South America to send troops to help South Korea during the 1950-53 Korean War. Upon arrival in Bogota, Lee plans to lay a wreath at a war memorial and then host a meeting with veterans and their families to thank them for their contributions to South Korea's defense.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries. (Yonhap News)