Leaders of S. Korea, Vietnam to discuss defense, infra, AI
President Lee Jae Myung and his administration are set to face several crucial diplomatic tests in the coming weeks, starting with a state visit by Vietnam's top leader this week and potential talks with his US and Japanese counterparts later this month.
Lee, who returned from his weeklong summer vacation on Sunday, is set to hold summit talks on Monday with the general secretary of Vietnam's Communist Party, To Lam. This marks the first visit by a foreign leader since Lee took office on June 4.
Lam's four-day visit to South Korea began Sunday, according to the presidential office.
The two leaders plan to discuss ways to deepen ties between the two countries, including bilateral economic cooperation, said presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung. They will touch on a wide range of topics, including politics, security, trade, nuclear power, smart cities, high-speed rail and more, Kang added. Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son also said in an interview with Yonhap News that the Southeast Asian country looks forward to a wider range of cooperation with Seoul, including diplomacy, defense, security, infrastructure, advanced technology, semiconductors and artificial intelligence.
Lee is due to hold a state dinner Monday evening with several major business leaders, including Chey Tae-won, who is chief of SK Group and the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, as well as heads of Korean conglomerates doing business in Vietnam, such as Samsung Electronics, Hyundai Motor, LG, Posco, Hanwha, HD Hyundai, and Daewoo Engineering and Construction.
The presidential office highlighted Vietnam as a key comprehensive strategic partner and expressed anticipation that Lam's visit would advance ties between the two countries in a 'future-oriented' direction. Since diplomatic relations were established in 1992, South Korea and Vietnam have become each other's third-largest trading partners. The two countries are targeting $150 billion in annual trade by 2030.
Regarding Lee's planned summit with US President Donald Trump, Seoul and Washington have been coordinating a date for the summit in recent weeks, Seoul officials noted.
Several diplomatic sources in Seoul and Washington have said that the summit between Lee and Trump is likely to take place on Aug. 25. The two sides recently clinched a trade deal that set a lower-than-expected 15 percent tariff on imports from South Korea, in return for a $350 billion investment pledge in key US sectors, including energy and shipbuilding.
With a major trade hurdle removed, both Lee and Trump are likely to focus on security issues, including threats stemming from North Korea's advancing nuclear weapons program, in the upcoming planned summit, observers say.
The issue of a potential reduction in the size of US Forces Korea and a possible shift in its role toward deterring threats from China is likely to be a key agenda issue.
With the Lee administration continuing to pursue an inter-Korean thaw, the topic of North Korea policy and Seoul's role in a potential revival of dialogue between the US and North Korea on denuclearization could be discussed as well.
Seth Bailey, acting deputy assistant secretary in the State Department's Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, recently said during a public event that the US has noted a recent statement by Kim Yo-jong, the influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, "with interest.' In the statement, Pyongyang signaled its openness to reviving talks with Washington, but said it rejects any dialogue on denuclearization.
A summit between Lee and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba is likely to take place by the end of the month, according to Japan's Asahi Shimbun on Saturday, citing sources in Tokyo. Seoul and Tokyo have been discussing the details of the potential summit, likely to take place in Japan's capital around Aug. 23, the report said.
Seoul's presidential office said the same day that while the two sides have been discussing the summit, the schedule has yet to be confirmed.
The two countries agreed on their intent to revive reciprocal visits by their leaders during a meeting between South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun and Ishiba on July 30.
If it materializes, the meeting between Lee and Ishiba could take place before a planned summit between Lee and Trump.
The presidential office said Sunday that a group of special envoys will be dispatched to Indonesia for a three-day visit starting Monday. The envoys plan to visit Jakarta and deliver a letter from Lee to Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto outlining Seoul's efforts to deepen ties with Jakarta, said presidential spokesperson Kang in a message sent out to reporters.
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