President Yoon Suk Yeol departs for the U.S. on this Monday to attend a number of security-related events including the NATO summit in Washington D.C.
Our Presidential Office Correspondent Kim Do-yeon has a preview of the agenda ahead.
For the 3rd year in a row, President Yoon will attend the NATO Summit, being held this year in Washington, D.C.
The president will leave for the U.S. on Monday a few days earlier than the Summit’s start date to stop off in Hawaii, to visit the United States Indo-Pacific Command.
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“The summit held in Washington, D.C., where the North Atlantic Treaty was signed on April 4, 1949, marking the founding of NATO, carries historical significance. Considering the importance of cooperation with the Indo-Pacific region, NATO has extended invitations to the IP4 nations, South Korea, Japan, Australia and New Zealand for three consecutive years.”
As for the brief itinerary arriving in Hawaii on Monday, he will go straight to pay his respects at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, informally known as the Punchbowl, where around 10-thousand Korean War veterans and their family members have been laid to rest, along with servicemen and servicewomen from World War 2 and the Vietnam War.
On Tuesday, he’s set to visit the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command where he will be briefed by the commander regarding ongoing security issues in the region.
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“Since 2018, when the U.S. Pacific Command became the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, this is the first time for a South Korean President to visit the headquarters. The visit will showcase the strong solidarity of the ROK-U.S. alliance, and serve as an opportunity to enhance cooperation between the two countries for peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region.”
President Yoon will arrive in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday, where he will kick off his NATO-related engagements with bilateral talks with some members’ leaders including new entrants Sweden and Finland, and the Czech Republic.
On Thursday, he’s expected to have a summit with the IP4 leaders.
Also after attending the NATO Summit itself, Yoon is set to give a speech at the NATO Public Forum before returning to Seoul.
While the NATO members will address the prolonged war in Ukraine, the summit also comes against the backdrop of Russia and North Korea’s strengthened military cooperation.
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“A strong message will be sent regarding the military cooperation between Russia and North Korea, and, in response, there will be discussions on ways to strengthen cooperation between NATO allies and IP4 partners.”
“All in all, the Presidential Office said that the core concept of this trip is to strengthen South Korea’s security through global cooperation.
In fact, an official said that there will be an opportunity for just the IP4 members to send a message to Russia and North Korea, to showcase the solidarity in the region.”
While the possibility of a trilateral summit between Seoul, Washington, and Tokyo to follow up on the Camp David Summit was raised, an official at the Presidential Office said that while it is open to all possibilities, it won’t focus overwhelmingly on arranging one.
In fact, the schedule is packed for this trip and there are still opportunities for a summit throughout the rest of the year.
Kim Do-yeon, Arirang News.
Source : Arirang TV, https://www.arirang.com/news/view?id=272958
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