Yoon to make state visit to United States in April, hold summit

Diplomacy

Published: 08 Mar. 2023, 16:45

Yoon to make state visit to United States in April, hold summit

President Yoon Suk Yeol, left, and U.S. President Joe Biden hold their second summit in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on Nov. 13, 2022, on the sidelines of Asean meetings. [PRESIDENTIAL OFFICE]

Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol will make a state visit to the United States in late April for a summit with U.S. President Joe Biden as the two countries mark the 70th anniversary of their alliance this year.

Yoon will be the second state guest to be received by Biden since he took office in January 2021. It will be the third summit meeting for the leaders.

Biden and the first lady, Jill Biden, will host Yoon and the first lady, Kim Keon Hee, for a state visit, which will include a state dinner, on April 26, according to White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre in a statement Tuesday.

"The upcoming visit celebrates the 70th anniversary of the U.S.-ROK alliance, which is critical to advancing peace, stability and prosperity for our two countries, the Indo-Pacific, and around the world," said Jean-Pierre, referring to the acronym for the Republic of Korea.

Yoon and Biden will "highlight the importance and enduring strength of the ironclad U.S.-ROK alliance as well as the United States' unwavering commitment to the ROK," she added. They are expected to discuss their "shared resolve to deepen and broaden" the political, economic, security and people-to-people ties between the two countries.

The Korean presidential office also confirmed early Wednesday that Yoon will make a state visit to the United States upon the invitation of Biden "to mark the historic year of the 70th anniversary of the Korea-U.S. alliance."

A state visit is the highest-level visit by a foreign leader, typically involving more pomp and ceremony, including a welcoming event with an honor guard and a state dinner.

Last December, French President Emmanuel Macron became Biden's first state guest. Macron and his first lady stayed at the historic Blair House, across the street from the White House, during their visit.

The last state visit to the United States by a Korean leader was 12 years ago by former President Lee Myung-bak in October 2011 upon the invitation of U.S. President Barack Obama.

During this visit, Lee delivered an address to a joint session of the U.S. Congress, a day after the ratification of the Korea-U.S. free trade agreement (FTA) by the Senate and House of Representatives.

There have been six state visits by the Korean president to the United States, and five of them delivered speeches to the U.S. Congress. Late President Kim Dae-jung also addressed the Congress in 1998.

"Under President Biden, we have taken the U.S.-ROK partnership to unprecedented heights in a way that benefits our economies and our people, and strengthens deterrence in Indo-Pacific region," Jean-Pierre told reporters in a press briefing in Washington later Tuesday.

"The United States-ROK alliance is more than a military or security partnership," said Jean-Pierre. "It has grown into a truly global and future-oriented alliance."

She highlighted that Korea has "invested tens of billions of dollars into the United States," which will "help strengthen our supply chains, and give our economies a competitive edge."

Jean-Pierre added that the United States is "home to a large number of Americans with Korean heritage" and highlighted the "strong people-to-people ties" between the two countries, pointing out that they share many cultural interests, such as music, television and movies.

The United States has also "supported ROK and Japan as they've worked to increase cooperation amongst each other, effectively strengthening the U.S.-ROK-Japan trilateral partnership," she added, in a nod to the recent thaw in bilateral relations between Seoul and Tokyo.

On Monday, Seoul announced a plan to compensate victims of forced labor during Japan's colonial rule with a Korea-funded public foundation, without requiring the participation of the Japanese companies ordered to pay up by the Korean Supreme Court in 2018. The issue has remained a thorn in diplomatic relations between Seoul and Tokyo, and Washington immediately welcomed efforts for its two allies to mend ties.

Jean-Pierre said that Yoon's state visit will "strengthen and deepen bilateral ties, and we are looking forward to celebrating the 70th anniversary of the U.S.-ROK alliance here at the White House."

Korea and the United States signed their Mutual Defense Treaty in October 1953.

The two presidents are expected to "hold a summit meeting, attend a state dinner scheduled for April 26 to celebrate the achievements of the ROK-U.S. alliance accumulated over the past 70 years and hold in-depth discussions on the direction of the future development of the alliance," said Kim Eun-hye, senior presidential secretary for press affairs, in a statement Wednesday.

Following up on Yoon and Biden's two summits last year, the two leaders are expected to discuss "concrete and practical measures" for cooperation in various areas, including a combined defense posture and extended deterrence, advanced technologies and economic security, cultural and people-to-people exchanges and regional and international challenges.

"President Yoon's state visit to the United States will serve as a historic milestone for the Korea-U.S. alliance, considered one of the most successful alliances, to more actively evolve in preparation for the rapidly changing international situation and future uncertainties," said Kim.

She said that it is expected the two sides will work to realize a "Korea-U.S. alliance in action" to protect the lives, safety and core values of the people of both countries and advance toward the future.

Other possible issues for discussion include North Korean denuclearization, coordinating Indo-Pacific strategies and discussing supply chain stability and economic security. Yoon could also reiterate concerns expressed by Korean companies over the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and the CHIPS and Science Act.

The back-to-back announcements came as Korean National Security Adviser Kim Sung-han was in Washington for talks with his U.S. counterpart, Jake Sullivan to discuss the details of Yoon's trip and other alliance matters.

South Korean National Security Adviser Kim Sung-han speaks to reporters at the Korean Cultural Center in Washington Tuesday after talks with his U.S. counterpart, Jake Sullivan, on President Yoon Suk Yeol’s state visit to the United States next month. [NEWS1]

Kim said to reporters at the Korean Cultural Center in Washington Tuesday that Yoon's state visit is an opportunity to "actively seek ways to further strengthen the Korea-U.S. alliance's ability to deter North Korea's nuclear weapons."

Yoon could also seek ways to prevent Korean companies from facing unexpected uncertainties due to U.S. industrial policy.

"We agreed to seek necessary measures to minimize the possibility that Korean companies will face unfair treatment or unexpected uncertainties in the process of implementing U.S. industrial policy, such as the IRA and the CHIPS Act," said Kim.

During the five-day visit since Sunday, Kim met with a series of Biden administration officials, including Sullivan and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

In their talks Tuesday, Sullivan "welcomed news of the historic breakthrough between the ROK and Japan to resolve historical issues and open the door to increased cooperation between these two key allies," according to the White House in a statement.

They discussed enhancing security ties and condemned North Korea's "continued destabilizing activity" and Russia's war in Ukraine.

They further emphasized "continued cooperation to advance and protect our countries' technology leadership" and addressed vulnerabilities in supply chains, telecommunications infrastructure and cyber networks.

Sullivan "reiterated the United States' ironclad commitment to the security of the ROK and the region and to providing extended deterrence through the full range of U.S. defense capabilities."

On May 21, 2022, Biden visited Seoul for a first summit with Yoon, an unprecedentedly early meeting between a U.S. president and a newly elected Korean leader. The two countries agreed to upgrade ties to a global comprehensive strategic alliance in their joint statement.

Yoon and Biden held their second summit on Nov. 13, in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on the sidelines of Asean meetings.

BY SARAH KIM [kim.sarah@joongang.co.kr]