South Korean President, Park Geun-hye, will visit Washington early next month to celebrate his first summit with U.S. President Barack Obama, a meeting expected to focus on how to rein in the increasingly rancorous North Korea.
The U.S. visit, which begins with a stopover in New York on May 5, will be the first trip to Park abroad since she assumes the presidence last February. This underlines the importance it attaches to relations with the United States, the most important ally of South Korea.
Then, the president will travel to Washington for summit talks with Obama in the White House, May 7, in which North Korea is expected to be a priority item on the agenda.
In Washington, the White House states that Park and Obama "will discuss a range of economic and security issues, including continued cooperation on denuclearization of the Korean peninsula and the fight against the threat of North Korea" .
The Office of the President of South Korea also said the two leaders are expected to discuss how to work closely for the denuclearization of North Korea and maintain a strong deterrent against communist nation since Pyongyang "continues provocative acts, including extreme nuclear and missile threats".
Since early March, North Korea has raised tensions considerably, with almost daily threats of war, because of the angriness after a new UN sanctions adopted by its third nuclear test in February, and for annual military exercises between South Korea and USA.
Pyongyang has nullified the armistice of the Korean War and non-aggression pacts signed with South Korea for decades, has cut all border hotlines before declaring that he was in a "state of war" with the South, and has threatened to launch nuclear attacks on the South and the U.S.
He also pledged to restart a nuclear reactor, plutonium production, which was out of use for a long time, in its Yongbyon complex, to strengthen its nuclear arsenal, and suspended operations at an industrial complex jointly operated in border city Kaesong.
Even foreigners were warned from South Korea to develop evacuation plans.
Last week, Park proposed dialogue to resolve the crisis, but North Korea reacted negatively to the offer, calling the president's proposal as "nothing more than a cunning trick" and "empty words".
During a visit to Seoul on Friday, Secretary of State, John Kerry, also appealed for dialogue, saying Washington is ready for talks if Pyongyang is willing to meet its international obligations and standards and makes clear to be aimed at the denuclearization within conversations.
Other key issues are expected to be on the table at the summit, including how to review an agreement that will expire on civil nuclear cooperation between the two countries.
The parties have been in talks to rewrite the nuclear deal, which is set to expire in March next year.
The 1974 agreement prohibits Seoul reprocessing spent nuclear fuel, as it could produce plutonium that could be used to make atomic bombs. Seoul wants, now that Washington allowed to employ a proliferation-resistant technology for uranium enrichment and reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel.
Washington has been reluctant to do so, apparently concerned about the proliferation.
When in New York, May 5-6, Park is scheduled to meet with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and a meeting with Korean residents there said Park office. The three-day visit to Washington also includes a panel discussion organized by the Business Chamber of Commerce USA, and a meeting with Korean residents.
On his way back to the country, Park is scheduled to make a stop in Los Angeles to meet with the mayor of the city and held a meeting with Korean residents there, before returning to Seoul on May 10, said the Presidents Office.
