TEHRAN On Thursday, a prominent lawmaker of the Republic of Korea said that the "Reelection of President Seyed Mohammad Khatami is a sign of political stability in Iran."

Korean National Assembly Member Chong Ung Park, in an exclusive interview with the TEHRAN TIMES, said, "I present my heartfelt congratulations to Mr. Khatami for his second unprecedented victory as president of the Islamic Republic."

He was referring to the June 8th presidential election in Iran in which Khatami received over 22 million votes.

Park is heading a South Korean parliamentary delegation visiting Iran.

"Tension-free elections in Iran pave the way for foreign investors to come to Iran and start businesses," Park believes. "Korea supports the reform movement in Iran," he said.

"Bilateral trade between Iran and South Korea reached $3.8 billion last year and this is a sign of friendly and trouble free relations between the two countries," Park argued.

"The forthcoming visits of President Khatami to Seoul and Korean Foreign Minister Han Seung-Soo to Tehran will promote the expansion of bilateral relations in all areas of cooperation," Park noted.

In response to a question on the status of women in South Korea, Park said, "Women in South Korea are active in all fields. Three are members of the country's cabinet and 16 are members of Parliament."

He lauded Iran's ancient culture and civilization.

Another Korean parliamentarian, Kim Seong Ho, also spoke to the TEHRAN TIMES and said, "The foreign media paint a distorted picture of Iran and very often try to give the impression that Iran is facing big crises."

"But when we arrived here," Kim said, "we found Iran to be a peaceful and stable country."

"Iranian women are very active and, unlike certain other Muslim countries, women are allowed to drive cars here," Kim noted.

"I hope that Mr. Khatami, in his second term, will improve Iran's international relations," he said.

According to another report, the Iran-South Korea Parliamentary Friendship Group arrived in Shiraz on Thursday.

Park Chong Ung expressed his pleasure at visiting Shiraz and said that the city is very famous in South Korea culturally and artistically and that many South Korean citizens are well aware of the historical background of this great city. He called his trip to Iran very successful and added that meetings of this delegation with the Iranian authorities may be a good opportunity for implementation of economic and cultural goals of the two countries.

Also, Hadi Pajouhesh, an official in charge of security affairs at the office of the governor of Fars Province, said that this city is known as the cultural capital of the country in addition to having great agricultural and economic potential.

He added that Shiraz has been the residence of great Iranian poets like Sa'di and Hafez, two great poets of the 13th and 14th centuries who are buried in Shiraz.

He remarked that the great number of tourists visiting Shiraz every year is evidence of the city's fame worldwide.

Also, the Korean head of the Iran-South Korea Parliamentary Friendship Group and his delegation met and conferred with Iranian Parliament Speaker Mahdi Karrubi Wednesday.

According to the Cultural and Public Relations Bureau of the Majlis, Hojjatoleslam Karrubi referred to the high status of parliaments as links between governments and their citizens.

He also stressed the role played by this popular and national foundation (Parliament) in giving shape to the foreign relations of countries, noting that Iran's Majlis is ready to act in this regard.

Karrubi also extended an invitation to his South Korean counterpart through Park Chong Ung to visit Iran during the meeting, which was also attended by the Iranian head of the Iran-South Korea Parliamentary Friendship Group and the ambassador of South Korea to Tehran.

Meanwhile, the visiting South Korean head of the Iran-South Korea Parliamentary Friendship Group conferred on Wednesday with his Iranian counterpart, Hossein Hashemi, on issues of mutual interest.

Hashemi referred to the high level of trade between the two countries and enumerated the existing capabilities and potentialities. He expressed the hope to witness further expansion of mutual relations based on the efforts of friendship groups.

The group, which arrived in Tehran on Wednesday, will conclude their trip today.