Yoon, Joe Biden to discuss N.Korean provocations during 1st summit

SEOUL: During their first-ever summit this week, South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol and his US counterpart Joe Biden will discuss North Korean provocations, economic security and contributions to pending international issues, a senior official here said on Sunday.

Biden is set to arrive in Seoul on Friday for the summit with the new South Korean President the following day before visiting Japan on May 22 on his first Asia trip since his inauguration last year. The two leaders will discuss how to deal with North Korea's provocations, the official said, adding that they will also discuss bilateral cooperation in supply chain issues, emerging technologies and other topics related to economic security.

Also on the agenda is South Korea's contributions to pressing international issues and how to coordinate them. Yoon's top priority in the summit is to build trust with Biden and further strengthen the South Korea-US alliance and combined defence posture, according to the official.

The US currently maintains some 28,500 troops in South Korea to deter North Korean aggression, a legacy of the 1950-53 Korean War that ended in an armistice, not a peace treaty. The summit and a joint press conference will both be held at the new presidential office in Yongsan in central Seoul. IANS

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