President Park Geun-hye will tour Brazil and three other South American countries later this month to bolster South Korea's partnership with the region, the presidential office said Friday.

Park will fly to Colombia on April 16 and then to Peru, Chile and Brazil before returning home on April 27, Ju Chul-ki, senior presidential secretary for diplomatic affairs, told reporters.

"The president plans to hold summit meetings with the heads of each state to discuss mutual interests, including ways to bolster partnerships and to strengthen the long-time basis of cooperation with the traditional allies and future partners afresh," he noted.

Park is considering attending an event to mourn the victims of the sinking of the ferry Sewol just hours ahead of departing to South America on April 16, the first anniversary of the tragedy, Ju said.

"The coming trip overlaps with the first anniversary of the ferry Sewol's sinking. President Park is considering (attending) a related event," he noted, adding that no final decision has been made.

The sinking of the ferry en route to the southern island of Jeju took the lives of more than 300 people, mostly teenage students on a field trip.

In defending the timing of the trip, Ju said Colombia has asked Park to visit sometime between April 15-17. (Yonhap)