President Moon to Visit Washington on 19th at Invitation of US President Biden (Comprehensive)

US-ROK Summit Meeting Scheduled with US House Speaker... Atlanta SK Innovation Plant Visit Also Planned

[Asia Economy Reporter Ryu Jeong-min] President Moon Jae-in will make an official working visit to Washington DC from the 19th to the 22nd at the invitation of U.S. President Joe Biden.

Jung Man-ho, Senior Secretary for Public Communication at the Blue House, stated at a Chuncheon briefing on the 18th, "President Moon will depart Seoul on the afternoon of the 19th and is scheduled to arrive in Washington on the same day in the afternoon local time," adding, "The official schedule is expected to begin on the second day of the visit, the 20th."

On the morning of the 20th, President Moon will visit Arlington National Cemetery in the U.S. to lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. In the afternoon, he will visit the U.S. Congress and hold a meeting with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other House leadership.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

On the morning of the 21st, he will visit the White House to meet with U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris. In the afternoon, a Korea-U.S. summit will be held at the White House, followed by a joint press conference immediately after the meeting. Afterwards, he will attend the groundbreaking ceremony for the Korean War Memorial Wall honoring Korean War casualties at the Washington Korean War Veterans Memorial Park.

On the last day of the visit, the 22nd, in the morning, he will meet with Cardinal Wilton Gregory, and in the afternoon, he will travel to Atlanta to visit the SK Innovation plant operated by a local Korean company. President Moon is scheduled to arrive in Seoul on the evening of the 23rd.

A senior Blue House official commented on the issue of COVID-19 vaccine sharing, saying, "All schedules are tightly arranged due to COVID-19. There are many matters to discuss. It is difficult to specify the form or content of discussions regarding various options related to vaccines between the two countries."

When asked whether the Korean Peninsula issues would be included in the Korea-U.S. summit statement, a senior Blue House official said, "Whether it will be included in the summit statement is still under discussion at this time," withholding further details.

Meanwhile, regarding the businesspeople accompanying the delegation, the Blue House stated, "Discussions are ongoing between Korean and U.S. companies, so it is not appropriate for the government to disclose specific details. It would be more appropriate to provide information once it is clearly decided whether there will be an event or activity."