Yoon's First Meeting with Biden at Yongsan Office 11 Days After Inauguration
Unusual Move Visiting Korea Before Japan
Dinner Venue Selected as National Museum of Korea
[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Juhee] U.S. President Joe Biden will visit South Korea for a 2-night, 3-day trip from the 20th to the 22nd. President Yoon Suk-yeol will hold a summit meeting with the U.S. president just 11 days after his inauguration, the fastest among all South Korean presidents.
Additionally, this summit stands out as the first official diplomatic event held after relocating the presidential office to the Yongsan building, and the first summit trip destination being South Korea rather than the U.S., marking notable differences from previous Korea-U.S. summits.
◆ Only 11 Days After Yoon’s Inauguration... 'Ultra-Fast Meeting' with U.S. President
This meeting between President Yoon and President Biden holds special significance as it is the fastest Korea-U.S. summit arranged after the inauguration of a South Korean government. Looking at the periods from inauguration to the first Korea-U.S. summit since the 1990s, the order was: ▲Moon Jae-in (51 days) ▲Lee Myung-bak (54 days) ▲Park Geun-hye (71 days) ▲Roh Moo-hyun (79 days) ▲Kim Dae-jung (105 days) ▲Kim Young-sam (136 days) ▲Roh Tae-woo (239 days).
Previously, former President Moon Jae-in held the record for the shortest time to meet a U.S. president, but with this summit, President Yoon sets a new record. Recently, the time between presidential inauguration and summit meetings has been decreasing. However, holding a Korea-U.S. summit in less than two weeks indicates an increased importance of Korea-U.S. relations compared to the past.
Kim Tae-hyo, First Deputy Director of the National Security Office, announced the detailed schedule of the Korea-U.S. summit on the 18th at the open lounge of the Yongsan Presidential Office building, stating, "This Korea-U.S. summit is the shortest period after inauguration among all presidents, taking place just 11 days after," and emphasized, "President Biden has never visited an Indo-Pacific country before, and choosing South Korea as his first destination is symbolic."
◆ Unusual That U.S. President Visits South Korea First, Before Visiting Japan
It is also unusual that the U.S. president visits South Korea before the South Korean president visits the U.S. Until now, official visits by U.S. presidents to South Korea before the Korean president’s visit only occurred during the meetings between first President Syngman Rhee and President Eisenhower in December 1952, and between President Kim Young-sam and President Bill Clinton in July 1993. In all other administrations, the South Korean president visited the U.S. first after inauguration.
Notably, President Biden’s choice to visit South Korea before Japan during his East Asia tour draws attention. Former President George W. Bush visited Japan, South Korea, and China in that order during his first Asia tour in February 2002. Former President Obama visited Japan, Singapore, China, and South Korea in November 2009, and former President Donald Trump toured Japan, South Korea, China, Vietnam, and the Philippines in November 2017.
However, regarding President Biden’s first visit to South Korea, the White House requested not to overinterpret the order of visits, stating it holds no significant meaning. White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said during a regular briefing on the 3rd, in response to a question about no U.S. president visiting South Korea before Japan in the past 60 years, "The U.S. and South Korea share an incredibly important partnership and bond. We continuously engage with South Korea through various mechanisms and will keep working to strengthen the relationship," adding, "I hope people don’t read too deeply into the order of visits."
◆ First Diplomatic Event Held at Yongsan... Dinner at the National Museum of Korea
With President Yoon’s office relocation, President Biden’s visit will be the first summit and diplomatic event held at Yongsan instead of the Blue House. Previously, official events and dinners for visiting foreign leaders were all held at the Blue House, so there is keen interest in how the newly transformed presidential office will host foreign dignitaries.
According to the presidential office, President Biden will arrive in South Korea on the afternoon of the 20th. He is expected to visit the Samsung semiconductor plant in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, immediately afterward. There is speculation that President Yoon may join him at this visit.
The first Korea-U.S. summit between President Yoon and President Biden will take place on the afternoon of the 21st at the Yongsan Presidential Office in Seoul. The two countries will hold a meeting lasting about 1 hour and 30 minutes, followed by a joint press conference to announce the results.
The official dinner that evening will be held at the National Museum of Korea. The National Museum previously hosted the spouses’ dinner for the Nuclear Security Summit in March 2012 during the Lee Myung-bak administration. Attendees at the dinner will include Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong, SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won, Hyundai Motor Group Chairman Chung Eui-sun, LG Group Chairman Koo Kwang-mo, the heads of the four major conglomerates, and leaders of six major economic organizations.
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