"Biden Plans to Invite President Yoon to State Dinner This Spring"

[Asia Economy New York=Special Correspondent Joselgina] U.S. President Joe Biden is reported by U.S. media to plan to invite President Yoon Seok-yeol to a state dinner at the White House in April this year.

Bloomberg News reported on the 15th (local time), citing multiple sources, that preparations are currently underway at the White House for President Yoon's visit and the state dinner. The visit is planned for late April this year, but the exact timing is flexible, the outlet confirmed.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

A state visit is the highest level of honor for a foreign visit by a head of state. It typically includes an official welcoming ceremony with a guard of honor inspection, a state dinner, a farewell ceremony, and an opportunity to deliver a speech at the legislature. Additionally, the Blair House, the official guest residence, is provided as accommodation. The last time a Korean president visited the U.S. as a state guest was former President Lee Myung-bak in 2011.

This state visit proposal is known to have been made by the Korean government to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Korea-U.S. alliance. From the U.S. side, it is interpreted as considering the need for economic and security cooperation with Korea amid the Biden administration's overt China containment policy and North Korea's successive nuclear missile provocations. Bloomberg News also reported that President Biden visited Korea in May last year and is seeking more U.S. investments from companies.

Since President Biden took office, the only state visit so far was by French President Emmanuel Macron in December last year. If the current discussions proceed as planned, President Yoon will become President Biden's second state guest. President Biden is scheduled to visit Japan in May to attend the Group of Seven (G7) summit.

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