By Kang Seung-woo
President Park Geun-hye will embark on a trip to the United States on June 14 for a summit with U.S. President Barack Obama, Cheong Wa Dae announced, Tuesday.
”President Park will visit Washington, D.C. from June 14 to 17 at the invitation of President Obama and hold a summit on June 16,” Park’s office said in a press release.
The trip will mark Park’s second official U.S. visit _ the other one in September of last year _ and the meeting between Park and Obama will be their fifth since Park’s inauguration in February 2013.
After the trip to the U.S. capital, Park plans a two-day visit to Houston from June 17 before returning home June 19. Houston is the home to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) Johnson Space Center for human spaceflight training, research, and flight control.
In February, when announcing the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, U.S. National Security Adviser Susan Rice also said that President Obama looked forward to welcoming President Park and Indonesian President Joko Widodo to strengthen relations in the Asia-Pacific.
”The President’s visit is expected to serve as a momentum to reaffirm the role and importance of the ROK-U.S. alliance to cope actively with the changing circumstance on the Korean Peninsula and in Northeast Asia and global challenges,” Park’s office said.
In their fourth bilateral summit, Park and Obama will seek ways to boost political and economic cooperation between the two countries, resolve North Korea’s nuclear weapons programs and discuss other global issues, including climate change and the aerospace industry.