Departing for US Visit Today
Likely to Actively Secure Security Interests
KHNP Supports Dukovany New Nuclear Power Plant Project Bid
President Yoon Suk-yeol will depart for the United States on the 8th to attend the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit held in Washington D.C. This marks the first time a South Korean president has attended the NATO summit for three consecutive years. Previously, President Yoon attended the NATO summits held in Madrid, Spain in 2022 and Vilnius, Lithuania last year.
Through this trip, President Yoon plans to actively secure South Korea's security interests encompassing the Korea-U.S. alliance, NATO, and the Indo-Pacific region. In particular, amid the situation where Russia and North Korea have signed a 'Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Treaty' to strengthen their military and economic alliance, he intends to send a strong message to North Korea and Russia through solidarity with NATO, which shares democratic values.
Kim Tae-hyo, First Deputy Director of the National Security Office, stated at a briefing at the Presidential Office in Yongsan, Seoul on the 5th, "President Yoon and the First Lady plan to visit Washington D.C. from July 10 to 11 to attend the '2024 NATO Summit.' They will discuss practical cooperation measures in security and defense industries through bilateral talks with NATO member countries."
Visit to U.S. Indo-Pacific Command... Emphasizing the Korea-U.S. Alliance
On the 8th (local time), President Yoon will visit the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu, Hawaii, to lay a wreath and hold a dinner meeting with Korean expatriates. The National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific is the resting place of veterans of the Korean War and symbolizes the Korea-U.S. alliance. Former President Moon Jae-in also paid respects here in September 2021. On the 9th, President Yoon will visit the Indo-Pacific Command to receive a military and security briefing from Commander Samuel Paparo and encourage the troops stationed there. Deputy Director Kim emphasized, "President Yoon's visit to the Indo-Pacific Command will demonstrate the strong bond of the Korea-U.S. alliance and serve as an opportunity to elevate Korea-U.S. cooperation for peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region."
From the 10th to 11th, President Yoon will attend the NATO summit held in Washington D.C. In Washington D.C., he will hold a series of bilateral meetings with NATO member country leaders. He is scheduled to have consecutive bilateral talks with leaders from more than five NATO member countries, including the Czech Republic, Sweden, Finland, and Norway, as well as NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, to discuss various issues including regional and international affairs. A presidential office official said, "Discussions will cover defense industry cooperation, infrastructure and supply chain collaboration, and future nuclear cooperation. Currently, bilateral talks are scheduled with more than five NATO member country leaders, and as requests for meetings continue to come in, the number of countries holding talks may increase."
Bilateral Talks with NATO Member Countries... Cooperation in Security and Defense Industries
Kim Tae-hyo, the First Deputy Director of the National Security Office, is briefing on the afternoon of the 5th at the Yongsan Presidential Office building in Seoul regarding President Yoon Seok-yeol's trip to the 75th NATO Summit. [Image source=Yonhap News]
Finland and Norway, which border Russia, have introduced and operate South Korea's K9 self-propelled howitzers, and in the Czech Republic, Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) is making every effort to win the contract for the construction of a new nuclear power plant in the Dukovany area. KHNP President Hwang Ju-ho recently visited the Czech Republic to actively promote the new nuclear power plant project. The Czech new nuclear power plant project began bidding in March 2022. KHNP submitted its final bid last October. The project owner in the Czech Republic is currently evaluating bids and plans to select a preferred bidder around mid-month. A presidential office official said, "KHNP has thrown down the gauntlet to win the Czech new nuclear power plant project," adding, "We expect positive effects on winning the nuclear power plant project through these bilateral talks."
On the evening of the 10th, President Yoon and the First Lady will attend a social dinner hosted by U.S. President Joe Biden and the First Lady, the host country of the summit. On the morning of the 11th, they will attend the summit of the four Indo-Pacific partners (IP4) of NATO ? South Korea, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand. The IP4 summit is expected to issue a critical message regarding the military cooperation between North Korea and Russia. It is anticipated that the summit will strongly condemn the strengthening of military and economic alliances following the signing of the 'Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Treaty' between North Korea and Russia last month. This will be an opportunity to send a joint message not only from the 32 NATO allies but also at the Indo-Pacific level regarding the Russia-North Korea military cooperation. The government has previously stated that it might reconsider its policy of not supplying lethal weapons to Ukraine following the North Korea-Russia treaty, and there is currently discussion about the possibility of providing electronic warfare equipment capable of defending against Russia's jamming attacks.
Whether the highly anticipated Korea-U.S., Korea-Japan, and Korea-U.S.-Japan summits will be held has not yet been confirmed. A senior presidential office official said, "We are keeping all possibilities open and are in discussions, but we do not know what the outcome will be," adding, "Given the short time to handle multiple events, it is uncertain whether there will be enough time to hold separate meetings for Korea-U.S., Korea-Japan, and Korea-U.S.-Japan relations."
On the afternoon of the 11th, President Yoon will attend the 'NATO Public Forum,' co-hosted by NATO and five U.S. and European think tanks, where he will be the sole speaker for the Indo-Pacific session. This is the first time a South Korean president has spoken at this forum. President Yoon will diagnose the crisis factors of the current global security order and deliver a speech on cooperation measures between NATO and the IP4.
An Nam-gi, Director of the Comprehensive Planning and Analysis Office at the International Finance Center, said, "This year's NATO summit will discuss member countries' defense cooperation, support for Ukraine, and the expansion of NATO's global partnerships," adding, "It is expected that a strong message regarding the recent Russia-North Korea military alliance will be delivered to North Korea."
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