Indonesian president visits 'Machu Picchu of Busan' during ASEAN trip

SEOUL, Nov. 25 (Yonhap) -- Indonesian President Joko Widodo said he has paid a visit to a hillside village in South Korea's southeastern port city of Busan, saying the former slum's transformation into a tourist destination should serve as "an inspiration."

Widodo said in a Twitter posting Sunday night that he made the visit to the village of Gamcheon earlier in the day after arriving in Busan for a special summit between South Korea and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) set to open Monday.

Gamcheon, which was a slum village where refugees flocked after the outbreak of the 1950-53 Korean War, has been transformed into a cultural village as part of an urban rehabilitation project. Due to its location on a hillside, it's called the "Machu Picchu of Busan."

"Visiting Gamcheon Village - Busan's Machu Picchu - this afternoon. In the past, Gamcheon was a slum. It is located on a steep mountain slope," Widodo tweeted in a post written in the Indonesian language. "The village is clean, organized, empowered. Gamcheon Culture Village is a busy tourist destination. It should be an inspiration."

During his stay in South Korea, Widodo is also expected to visit the Hyundai automobile factory in Ulsan and meet Indonesian researchers in Busan. He also plans to hold a meeting with top executives of leading South Korean firms.