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After numerous delays, Park to visit US in October for talks with Obama

August 12, 2015

South Korean President Park Geun-hye (R) and U.S. President Barack Obama shake hands before holding summit talks at the presidential office of Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul on April 25, 2014. (Yonhap)

SEOUL/WASHINGTON, Aug. 13 (Yonhap) — President Park Geun-hye plans to visit Washington in October for talks with U.S. President Barack Obama, both sides announced, after rescheduling a trip postponed due to the MERS outbreak in South Korea.

The two leaders are set to meet on Oct. 16 to discuss a wide range of issues, including bilateral alliance and North Korea’s nuclear weapons programs, South Korean presidential spokesman Min Kyung-wook said.

“The summit is expected to serve as an occasion to reaffirm the strong, dynamic and evolving alliance between South Korea and the United States and open a new horizon for cooperation between the two countries,” Min said in a statement.

It would be Park’s fourth summit with Obama since she took office in 2013.

In Washington, White House press secretary Josh Earnest said Park’s visit “will underscore the strength and breadth of the U.S.-Republic of Korea partnership and demonstrate the close personal ties between the American and Korean people.”

“President Obama and President Park will exchange views on a broad range of security, economic, and global issues, including the U.S.-ROK alliance and the critical role it plays in assuring regional stability and security,” Earnest said in a statement.

The two leaders will also discuss the security situation on the Korean Peninsula “in the face of the continued threat from North Korea” as well as ways to expand cooperation into new areas, such as environment, energy, space, health, and cybersecurity, he said.

The announcement came two months after Park postponed a June visit to the U.S., citing an urgent need to contain the spread of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS). The virus has killed 36 people and the government came under fire for its poor initial response to the outbreak.

Since then, the two countries agreed to reschedule a visit at the earliest convenient time.

South Korea and the U.S. have usually announced presidential visits about 20 days in advance. Thursday’s unusually early announcement, which came two months ahead of a visit, is seen as an effort to underscore the alliance with Washington before Park makes a decision on attending China’s war anniversary ceremony.

Park has been considering an invitation from China to its Sept. 3 military parade, which is being planned to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II, amid media reports that the U.S. has asked Park not to attend the event.

The U.S. has flatly denied the reports, saying participation is South Korea’s “sovereign decision.”

North Korea is expected to be a key topic during the October summit.

Tensions on the Korean Peninsula have escalated over North Korea’s landmine attack inside the demilitarized zone separating the two Koreas earlier this month.

Two staff sergeants were maimed when the landmines exploded on Aug. 4 during their patrol mission on the southern side of the buffer zone.

On Wednesday, Park vowed to sternly deal with North Korea’s provocations. South Korea is weighing retaliation options against the North.

The United States has condemned North Korea for planting the landmines, calling it a breach of the Armistice Agreement that ended the 1950-53 Korean War.