SEOUL, April 20 (Yonhap) — South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol will pay a state visit to the United States from April 24 to 29 (local time), to hold a summit with his US counterpart Joe Biden, and mark the 70th anniversary . the anniversary of the bilateral alliance, according to what the South Korean presidential office said on Thursday.

Yoon will be the first South Korean president, after Lee Myung-bak in 2011, to pay a state visit to the US, Kim Tae-hyo, first deputy adviser for national security in South Korea’s presidential office, told reporters. , while announcing the details of the president’s trip.

Yoon and Biden will meet on April 26 at the White House after a formal welcoming ceremony and before a state dinner attended by South Korean and US first ladies Kim Keon Hee and Jill Biden respectively.

In addition, the deputy security adviser explained that the two leaders will spend a lot of time together during various events, celebrate the achievements of the Seoul-Washington alliance accumulated over 70 years, and exchange detailed views on the way forward. .will continue the alliance in the future.

The meeting will mark the sixth meeting between Yoon and Biden, following the last one in May last year, in Seoul, then in Madrid, Spain; London, United Kingdom; New York, USA; and Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

It is hoped that, in the coming talks, the content and expansion of the two countries’ strategic, comprehensive and global alliance will be further expanded, based on the trust and friendship that the two leaders have built so far, Kim added.

The deputy adviser pointed to four key areas in which he hopes to see results, including strengthening the allied joint defense posture and more detailed implementation of a deterrence commitment that Washington extended to Seoul.

Extended deterrence refers to the US commitment to mobilize all of its military capabilities, including nuclear, to defend its allies.

The credibility of this commitment has sometimes been questioned in South Korea, as North Korea has simulated a nuclear missile attack on the South while making advances in its nuclear and missile capabilities.

The meeting also aims to complement cooperation in the field of economic resilience, such as semiconductors and batteries; promote exchanges between future generations, including nurturing talent in the high-tech sector; and strengthen cooperation in international affairs, Kim said.

Ahead of the summit, Biden and First Lady Jill will invite Yoon and First Lady Kim for an informal meeting, he added.

Addressing a joint session of Congress on April 27, Yoon will remember the past 70 years of the alliance, which is rooted in the shared values ​​of liberal democracy, rule of law and human rights; it will address the challenges facing both countries; and presented plans for the future of the alliance.

He will then have lunch with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Vice President Kamala Harris before heading to an undisclosed location for a briefing from US military leaders.

On the same day, Yoon will travel to Boston and hold talks on April 28 with specialists in digital problems and biology from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). He will also deliver a speech, on the same day, at Harvard University.

Kim explained that Yoon will look back at the expansion of economic and political freedom, led by the United States, in the past 200 years, and share his thoughts on the two sides of freedom in today’s digital era.

Yoon will complete his journey and depart for Seoul on April 29.

delliv329@yna.co.kr

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