Biden seeks to meet business leaders during Seoul trip

SEOUL, May 3 (Yonhap) -- U.S. President Joe Biden is seeking to hold a meeting with South Korean business leaders during his trip to Seoul later this month, Seoul officials said Tuesday.

Biden is scheduled to visit Seoul from May 20-22 for a summit with incoming President Yoon Suk-yeol, who will take office May 10.

"President Biden hopes to meet businesspeople who invested in the United States, possibly via the American Chamber of Commerce in Korea," an official close to Yoon said.

The participants, format and other details of the envisioned meeting have yet to be determined, he added.

During his visit in 2019, former U.S. President Donald Trump met with the chiefs of major South Korean business groups, including Samsung, Hyundai Motor, SK and CJ, and expressed his gratitude for their investment in the U.S.

Yoon and Biden plan to hold a summit May 21, with North Korea, the bilateral alliance and economic cooperation high on the agenda.

U.S. officials recently inspected Samsung Electronics Co.'s semiconductor fabrication plant in Pyeongtaek, 70 kilometers south of Seoul, raising the possibility of his visit to one of the nation's chip industry centers.

The U.S. is reportedly considering a plan for Biden to deliver a speech to the general public on topics that include the South Korea-U.S. alliance and economic security.

jjhwang@yna.co.kr
(END)