Trump to visit S. Korea in June for summit with Moon

U.S. President Donald Trump will visit South Korea next month for a summit with President Moon Jae-in expected to focus on North Korea and the bilateral alliance, both sides announced Wednesday.

Trump's visit will be in conjunction with his travel to Japan to attend the G20 summit slated for June 28-29.

South Korea's presidential office said the two sides have agreed to discuss the detailed schedule through further consultations.

The two leaders plan to discuss ways to establish a permanent peace regime on the Korean Peninsula through the North's complete denuclearization, as well as to strengthen the bilateral alliance, presidential spokeswoman Ko Min-jung said.

The White House also announced the visit.

"President Trump and President Moon will continue their close coordination on efforts to achieve the final, fully verified denuclearization of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea," White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said in a statement.

"The two leaders will also discuss ways to strengthen the United States–Republic of Korea alliance and the friendship between our two peoples."

South Korea's formal name is the Republic of Korea, while the DPRK is North Korea's official name.

Trump last traveled to South Korea in November 2017 amid heightened tensions over North Korea's tests of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles potentially capable of striking the U.S.

Last year saw a flurry of diplomacy aimed at denuclearizing the North, including three summits between Moon and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and an unprecedented U.S.-North Korea summit between Trump and Kim.

Trump and Kim held a second summit in Vietnam in February to negotiate the North's denuclearization in exchange for sanctions relief.
After that meeting ended without a deal, the two sides have struggled to break the impasse.

Moon traveled to Washington last month to hold talks with Trump and attempt to revive the negotiations.

Tensions have renewed after North Korea fired a series of projectiles, including short-range missiles, into the East Sea on May 4 and 9.

The U.S. announced last week that it has for the first time seized a North Korean cargo vessel suspected of carrying coal exports in violation of U.N. sanctions on the regime

YONHAP