By Kim Rahn
South Korean President Moon Jae-in and U.S. President Donald Trump will have a summit in Seoul early next month during the latter’s tour of Asia, Cheong Wa Dae said Thursday.
It will be the third bilateral talks between the leaders of the two countries, following the first one in Washington, D.C., in June and the second in New York in September.
The exact schedule of Trump’s visit to Korea and the summit has not been decided yet. It will be just before Moon’s visit to Southeast Asian countries for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) +3 forum.
Moon and Trump are expected to discuss countermeasures against North Korea’s nuclear and missile threats, as well as the South Korea-U.S. free trade agreement which is subject to renegotiation talks.
After the summit, Moon will head to Southeast Asia, his first trip to the region since his inauguration in May.
From Nov. 8 to 10, he is expected to visit Indonesia, and the presidential offices of the two countries are arranging a summit date. Afterward he will take part in the APEC summit to be held in Danang, Vietnam, from Nov. 10 to 11, and the ASEAN +3 meeting and East Asia Summit (EAS), in Manila, the Philippines, from Nov. 13 to 14.
Moon plans to upgrade cooperation and exchanges between South Korea and ASEAN members through the meetings, as well as seek cooperation in resolving the North Korea issue.