(AFP) Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad today arrived at South Korea's southern resort island of Cheju for a rest after the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Shanghai, officials said.

"This is a strictly private visit," an official of the Malaysian Embassy in South Korea said.

Mahathir will have no official schedule on the island but will take some rest before he flies to Tokyo on Wednesday, he said.

Officials of South Korea's foreign ministry said Mahathir, accompanied by some 20 members of his entourage, would also visit the island's tourist attractions, including an arboretum.