Former U.S. President George W. Bush has arrived in South Korea to attend this week's memorial service for former President Roh Moo-hyun. 

A chartered plane carrying the 43rd U.S. President and his entourage landed at Gimpo International Airport in western Seoul at around 3:40 p.m. on Wednesday. 

When asked by journalists at the airport whether he has any message for South Koreans, Bush said, "My friend." His brief response apparently referred to the late South Korean president, whose term from 2003 to 2008 coincided with much of his eight years in office. 

An amateur painter, Bush is known to have painted a portrait of Roh and is expected to deliver it to his widow prior to a ceremony on Thursday commemorating the tenth anniversary of Roh’s death at his hometown in Gimhae, South Gyeongsang Province. 

Bush is also scheduled to deliver a five-minute-long memorial speech for Roh during the ceremony. Earlier on Thursday, he will visit the presidential office in Seoul to meet with President Moon Jae-in. 

Bush is scheduled to return to the U.S. after the memorial service.