South Korean President Park Geun-hye plans to express Seoul's desire to join the Trans-Pacific Partnership when she meets with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Monday, a source familiar with Japan-South Korea relations said.

Park is expected to seek Japan's cooperation for entering the U.S.-led free trade initiative, which also involves 11 other Pacific Rim economies, because each must agree to opening negotiations with Seoul to fix the terms for its entry.

The TPP members account for about 40 percent of the global economy.