US Delegation Likely to Visit South Korea This Week... South Korea-US Summit Possible as Early as May 20

Advance Survey Team Expected to Arrive in Korea Around the 23rd
Talks Preparation to Accelerate Rapidly

'Yongsan Era' Talks Candidate Sites Narrowed Down to Twice the Number
Including Defense Convention Center and National Museum of Korea

On the 2nd of last month, President-elect Yoon Seok-yeol at a TV debate venue, and on the 1st of the same month, U.S. President Joe Biden giving a speech. (Image source=EPA Yonhap News)

[Asia Economy Reporter Moon Chaeseok] It has been reported that a U.S. preliminary inspection team will visit South Korea this week to prepare for the first Korea-U.S. summit meeting between President-elect Yoon Seok-yeol and U.S. President Joe Biden. While coordination between the two countries is underway for the summit to be held on either the 20th or 21st of next month, the visit of the inspection team is expected to accelerate the preparatory work for the summit.

According to multiple diplomatic sources on the 17th, the U.S. preparatory team, acting as a preliminary inspection group, is expected to visit South Korea around the 23rd. During their stay, the team is likely to coordinate with the Korean side on specific logistics such as the venue and detailed schedule of the summit. However, one diplomatic source noted, "Since close coordination is ongoing between Korea and the U.S., it is difficult to make definitive statements until the inspection team actually arrives in Korea."

It appears that the plan is shaping up for President Biden to visit South Korea before attending the Quad (the U.S., Japan, Australia, and India) summit scheduled in Japan around the 24th of next month, with efforts also underway to hold the summit as early as the 20th. If the timing of President Biden’s return makes the 20th difficult, the option of holding the summit on the 21st remains viable. Multiple diplomatic sources said, "Since May 21st falls on a Saturday, the date of the summit is still somewhat flexible." If President Biden arrives in South Korea early on the 20th, the summit could be held that afternoon. However, sources emphasized, "The date of the summit cannot be officially confirmed until a final announcement is made."

If the summit is held on the 20th of next month, it will be just ten days after President-elect Yoon’s inauguration on May 10th. This would mark the shortest interval for a first Korea-U.S. summit following a presidential inauguration in history.

As this summit will be the first foreign leader meeting in the 'Yongsan era,' attention is also focused on the venue. It is reported that the candidates have been narrowed down to about two locations so far. Unlike previous welcoming events and dinners, which were mainly held at the Blue House’s State Guest House, this time the reception and dinner are expected to take place in the same venue as the summit. Candidate venues near Yongsan include the Defense Convention Center and the National Museum of Korea, as well as locations near the Yongsan office. There is also speculation that a 'third venue' such as the War Memorial might be selected. One official said, "We are currently scouting locations around Yongsan, and a decision is expected within a few days."

Regarding the office to be established in the Ministry of National Defense building in Yongsan, it is reported that due to the tight moving and remodeling schedule, it has been excluded from the list of candidate venues for now. During the venue review process, the Foreign Minister’s official residence in Hannam-dong was also considered, but it seems it was not included in the final candidates due to insufficient space to accommodate the entire delegation.

There is also interest in whether Kim Geon-hee, the spouse of President-elect Yoon, will appear at events related to the Korea-U.S. summit. This issue is linked to whether Jill Biden, the spouse of President Biden, will accompany him during his visit to Korea. If Mrs. Biden’s visit is confirmed, it is expected that Mrs. Kim will also attend. Conversely, if President Biden visits Korea alone, it is possible that Mrs. Kim may not appear. In that case, President-elect Yoon’s side is expected to decide on Mrs. Kim’s attendance by comprehensively considering diplomatic and political factors. One source said, "Although it is not always the case, generally, when the U.S. president attends multilateral meetings, the spouse often does not accompany, whereas for bilateral meetings, the spouse often does. Since this trip involves both bilateral (Korea-U.S. summit) and multilateral (Quad summit) meetings, both sides will likely coordinate by comprehensively assessing the situation."

It is unusual for U.S. presidents to visit South Korea first, as they have often started their first East Asia tour with a visit to Japan. If the U.S. president’s visit to Korea occurs before the Korean president’s visit to the U.S., it will be the first time in 29 years since former U.S. President Bill Clinton met former Korean President Kim Young-sam in Korea in July 1993.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.