President Lee sends condolence message over death of former Qatari ruler

President Lee Jae Myung sent a message of condolence over the death of former Qatari Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani and decided to dispatch his chief of staff as a special envoy, his office said Tuesday.

Presidential chief of staff Kang Hoon-sik will depart for Qatar later in the day to attend the funeral of the former emir and extend Lee's condolences, according to the Blue House. Kang is scheduled to return home on Thursday.

Kang's visit was arranged at the request of the Qatari side.

His upcoming trip raises the question of whether he will hold high-level talks on bilateral ties, including energy cooperation, as Kang has previously visited the Middle East several times as Lee's special envoy for strategic economic cooperation.

Sheikh Hamad ruled Qatar from 1995 to 2013 before handing power to his son, the current emir. He died Saturday at the age of 74.

Yonhap