Seoul

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol is set to embark on a visit to the United States next week, as announced by his office on Friday. Yoon’s itinerary includes attending the NATO summit in Washington and visiting the US Indo-Pacific Command in Hawaii.

According to Principal Deputy National Security Adviser Kim Tae-hyo, Yoon will first visit Hawaii on Monday and Tuesday to receive a security briefing at the US Indo-Pacific Command.

Following this, Yoon will travel to Washington from Wednesday to Thursday to participate in the NATO summit. His agenda there will focus on discussions with NATO leaders about the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and exploring avenues for cooperation between NATO and countries in the Indo-Pacific, including South Korea.

South Korea, invited to the NATO summit for the third consecutive year as a non-NATO partner in the Indo-Pacific, has been actively involved in joint maritime exercises like the Rim of the Pacific Exercise, currently underway in Hawaii with participation from 29 nations.

During his visit, Yoon is scheduled to hold bilateral talks with leaders from the Czech Republic, Sweden, Finland, Norway, and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on June 10. He will also participate in sessions with NATO allies and Indo-Pacific partners to discuss expanding security cooperation in response to evolving military dynamics involving Russia and North Korea.

Additionally, Yoon plans to deliver a speech at a NATO public forum jointly hosted with think tanks from Europe and the US, focusing on enhancing military cooperation and addressing regional security challenges.