President Roh to Visit U.S. on May 11 - 17

President Roh Moo-hyun will visit the United States from May 11 through May 17 for the first time since his inauguration.

Blue House Representative Song Kyung-hee announced on April 9 at a regular briefing session: “President Roh`s visit to America will be made at the request of U.S. President George W. Bush. His itinerary will include the three cities of New York City, Washington D.C. and San Francisco. He will also have a summit meeting with President Bush at the White House on May 15”.

The two leaders plan to affirm a peaceful resolution to the North Korean nuclear issue while also reiterating their determination to develop strong ties between the U.S. and Korea.

President Roh also plans to visit New York City and San Francisco (Silicon Valley), a major center for international finance and the IT industry, respectively. In Washington, the president will attend several major economy-related conferences including a luncheon meeting held by the American Chamber of Commerce and Industry in order to shake off any uncertainties that foreign investors might have towards Korea and enhance international confidence towards the Korean economy.

Representative Song said, “It is anticipated that President Roh`s visit to America this time will serve as a good opportunity to establish strong bilateral relationships with the U.S. discussing ways to cooperate on such issues at hand as North Korean nuclear threats and Korea`s future economy while notifying the American government of Korean policies towards such matters.”

In addition, President Roh is planning to visit Japan, China and Russia this year to embody detailed principles on the North Korean nuclear issue.

Jeong-Hun Kim jnghn@donga.com