Yoon to make state visit to U.S. from April 24-29

Apr 24, 2023, 08:47 am

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A banner marking 70th anniversary of the S. Korea-U.S. alliance is posted on the outer wall of the Korean Cultural Center in Washington, D.C., ahead of President Yoon Suk-yeol’s state visit to the United States./ Source: Presidential office

AsiaToday reporter Lee Wook-jae

President Yoon Suk -yeol will make a five-day state visit to the United States from April 24 at the invitation of U.S. President Joe Biden to seek ways to strengthen the Korea-U.S. alliance.

Yoon’s state visit to the U.S. is expected to be a major event both at home and abroad amid escalating conflicts between China and the U.S., the North Korean nuclear threat, and the Russia-Ukraine war.

According to the presidential office on Sunday, South Korea and the United States held a National Security Council (NSC) on the same day and made a final review on Yoon’s state visit and the agenda for the Korea-U.S. summit. Yoon focused on preparing for a state visit without arranging other schedules.

During the visit, the two leaders are expected to strengthen their joint defense posture, discuss details of extended deterrence and further enhance economic and security cooperation.

The 70th anniversary celebration of the Korea-U.S. alliance and protocol to President Yoon are expected to serve as an opportunity to declare the two countries’ ironclad alliance at home and abroad. Streets near the White House are adorned with South Korean and U.S. national flags ahead of Yoon’s visit. The South Korean presidential office will install some 120 electronic boards in downtown Seoul on Monday to display a tribute video showing respect and gratitude to Korean War veterans.

As Yoon will be Biden’s second state guest after French President Emmanuel Macron, the U.S. side seems to be eager to welcome Yoon. On Tuesday morning, Yoon and Biden and the first ladies will visit the Korean War Memorial in the U.S. capital. The following day, Wednesday, the presidents plan to hold a bilateral summit in the Oval Office, which will be followed by a joint press conference and a state dinner, symbolizing Korea-U.S. cooperation.

The highlights of the upcoming visit will be the Korea-U.S. summit and Yoon’s speech to a joint session of the U.S. Congress scheduled on Thursday. The key agenda of the summit is expected to be details of extended deterrence. In addition, attention is being paid to issues such as ways to strengthen cooperation in supply chains and emerging technologies between the two countries, and support for the war in Ukraine. In the case of Yoon’s speech to both the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, he will present a blueprint for the future of the alliance that the two countries will pursue together.

Attention is also being paid to whether the summit will address uncertainties for Korean companies caused by U.S. protectionist policies, such as the CHIPS and Science Act and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).

As major Korean business leaders are set to accompany Yoon, the public and private sectors of the two countries are expected to explore various possibilities of cooperation related to emerging technologies such as semiconductors, batteries, secondary batteries, bio and defense. The South Korean presidential office expected that dozens of memorandums of understanding (MOUs) will be signed between the two countries during Yoon’s visit.

#Yoon Suk-yeol #state visit #Biden #US