Presidents Moon, Trump to hold summit at White House on June 29-30

South Korea and the United States have confirmed the date for the summit in about two weeks' time between Presidents Moon Jae-in and Donald Trump.
Anticipation is high for the first meeting of the two leaders, both relatively new to their jobs.
Hwang Hojun reports.
The date is set.
For a visit proposed by President Trump, President Moon Jae-in will head to Washington on June 28th for a five-day trip.
Not only is this his first overseas trip since taking office, it's also his first summit with the U.S. President.
The highly-anticipated talks will take place at the White House for two days on June 29th and 30th.


"The summit holds extra significance as it comes at a time when a close and firm South Korea-U.S. alliance is particularly important."


The two leaders in their meeting are expected to discuss ways to upgrade the South Korea-U.S. alliance,... and how to fundamentally denuclearize North Korea... while dealing with its provocations.
Those provocations have come one after another. In fact, since President Moon took office in mid-May, Pyongyang has carried out five missile launches.
Another topic high on the agenda is likely to be the bilateral free trade agreement between Seoul and Washington... that went into effect about five years ago.
The Trump administration has been pushing ahead with its pledge to renegotiate America's trade deals with other nations... and the one with South Korea is no exception.
As far as the formalities go, the White House will host President Moon for a welcoming dinner,... and the two leaders will appear in a joint press conference.


"We hope the talks will boost trust and the personal bond between the two leaders, while also providing an opportunity for the allies to lay the groundwork for an unshakable defense against North Korea."


President Moon is also expected to meet with other U.S. officials, including Vice President Mike Pence, but the details of his schedule are yet to be determined.


This is not the first time Moon and Trump have spoken.
They've had phone conversations, and later President Moon sent a special envoy to Washington to arrange his U.S. trip and to deliver a personal letter to President Trump.
However, their first meeting in person later this month will be a key test of President Moon's strengths as a diplomat.
Hwang Hojun, Arirang News.