Moon arrives in Washington for summit with Biden

May 20, 2021, 09:24 am

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President Moon Jae-in waves as he boards the presidential jet at Seoul Air Base in Seongnam on May 19, 2021, for a trip to Washington D.C./ Source: Yonhap

AsiaToday reporter Lee Wook-jae

President Moon Jae-in headed to Washington on Wednesday for his first face-to-face summit with U.S. President Joe Biden. The key theme of the summit is whether Moon, who is serving the last year of his five-year term, could achieve the tangible results on COVID-19 vaccine cooperation, bilateral economic partnerships on semiconductors and batteries, North Korea, and alliance issues.

Above all, the question of whether the two countries would bring practical results from the ‘vaccine alliance’ beyond the security alliance amid the pandemic has become a pressing matter. People are also paying attention to whether Moon would be able to able to secure enough vaccines through vaccine swaps and establish a global hub for vaccine production.

Ahead of the summit, Kurt Campbell, the U.S. coordinator for Indo-Pacific affairs on the National Security Council, strongly suggested that discussion on vaccines would be one of the biggest agenda in an interview with Korean media outlet Tuesday, saying, “I am confident that the United States will discuss ways to support South Korea that is in the fight against the pandemic.”

Interest is focused as the two countries are expected to discuss ways to expand the ‘economic alliance’ by promoting cooperation in new industries such as semiconductors and batteries. The outcome of a meeting on global semiconductor shortages planned by the U.S. Department of Commerce with Samsung Electronics is drawing attention as it will be held on Thursday, a day before the Biden-Moon summit. Moon is pushing for a stopover in Atlanta on his way back home to visit a factory of SK Innovation. His move is aimed at achieving practical results and strengthening economic alliance beyond the security alliance.

One of the biggest pending issues is opening a breakthrough to revive the Korea peace process that has been stalled for years. As the Biden administration has completed reviewing its North Korea policy, it is of interest whether it will be possible to find ways to restore dialogue between the two Koreas and between North Korea and the United States. The two leaders are expected to discuss specific measures to cooperate on the North Korean denuclearization and peace process on the Korean Peninsula.

The two plan to announce the results of their talks in joint press conference immediately after the summit. Therefore, it will be a good opportunity to assess the level of the alliance along with the achievements of the first summit between Seoul and Washington since the inauguration of the Biden administration. First of all, the fact that Moon is the second head of state to meet Biden in person after Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga indicates that Biden values that ROK-US alliance. Moon held phone talks with Biden in last February and a virtual online meeting with him last April.

Moon is expected to have a hectic schedule since it will be his first trip to the Unites States since the start of the pandemic. Moon plans to begin his official activities in Washington on Thursday morning with a visit to Arlington National Cemetery. Then he will visit the U.S. Congress and hold a meeting with the House leadership, including Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi.

On Friday, Moon will meet U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris before meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden. Then, he will attend a groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of the Wall of Remblance at the Korean War Veterans Memorial. On the last day of his trip, Moon will meet with the first African-American cardinal Wilton Gregory the archbishop of Washington. Then he is expected to make a stopover at Atlanta to visit SK Innovation’s factory. He will arrive back in Seoul on Sunday evening.

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