Korea-US summit to mark new diplomatic milestone for Biden: U.S. official

All News 04:53 April 28, 2021

By Byun Duk-kun

WASHINGTON, April 27 (Yonhap) -- The upcoming summit between President Joe Biden and his South Korean counterpart, Moon Jae-in, will mark another diplomatic milestone for the U.S. president, a senior U.S. official said Tuesday, highlighting the emphasis the Biden administration places on U.S. alliances.

"We have a few upcoming milestones that are worth noting. We have the visit, next bilateral in-person visit with the Republic of Korea," the U.S. administration official said in a telephonic press conference, requesting anonymity.

Moon is set to visit Washington in the second half of May. The Biden-Moon meeting will mark the second in-person summit for the U.S. leader who took office 100 days ago this week. Biden held his first in-person summit with Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga in Washington on April 16.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in listens to U.S. President Joe Biden during the virtual Leaders Summit on Climate hosted by the latter on Earth Day at the presidential office in Seoul on April 22, 2021. The leaders are set to hold their first in-person summit in Washington in late May. (Yonhap)

"President Biden is committed to ensuring security and prosperity of the American people today and future. That means orienting our foreign policy to meet the challenges of the 21st century," the official said of the focus of the Biden administration's national security and foreign policy goals in the first 100 days.

"It also means building back better abroad, and this is reinvigorating our partnership and alliances and forging a common agenda among like-minded democracies," the official added.

Soon after taking office on Jan. 20, Biden had his country rejoin the World Health Organization, as well as the Paris agreement on climate, the official noted.

Biden also hosted a climate summit earlier this month, involving the leaders of 40 countries, including South Korea.

"These actions will strengthen our position at home and help restore U.S. leadership abroad today and in the future," said the official.

The official also noted the U.S. continues to undertake a comprehensive review of its North Korea policy, more than four weeks after National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said the review was in its final stages.

"We don't have anything to announce about that at this point," said the official. "We are much closer to the end of that review than we are to the beginning."

bdk@yna.co.kr
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