By Publisher Lee Jon-young, Reporter Kayla Lee 

The White House has officially announced that South Korea President Yoon Suk-yeol and Fi rst Lady K im Keon-hee will visit the United States in late April for a special summit meeting with President and Mrs. Joe Biden on April 26. 
This is the first time in many years that the Presidential Couple of the Republic of Korea visit the White House for this type of important summit meetings with their U.S. counterparts. After five years of the former government, President Yoon is considered to have been taking positive measures and actions to repair and improve the somewhat inactive summit diplomacy and relations, cooperation and friendship between Korea and the U.S., the staunchest ally of Korea. 
Yoon’s trip to the U.S. to mark the 70th anniversary of the U.S.-Korea alliance is expected to have an opportunity to further strengthen the bilateral alliance. 
In addition, the strategic agenda on the Korean Peninsula and in the Asia-Pacific Region is expected to be dealt with, including strengthening the deterrence against North Korea and trilateral cooperation between the U.S., Korea and Japan. 
The U.S. and Korean governments have begun to coordinate key agenda in the real earnest by officially announcing Yoon’s visit to the U.S and hold a summit. It will be the third summit for the two leaders and this year marks the 70th anniversary of the ROK-U.S. alliance. 
It is the first time in 10 years that an ROK President will visit the U.S. since former President Park Geun-hye. 
According to the Presidential Office, Presidents Yoon and Biden will discuss ways to curb North Korea’s intentions of aggression against the ROK, the U.S., Japan and other members of the Free World, enhancing cuttingedge technology, economic security, cultural and human exchanges, and regional and international issues at the Summit. 
In the wake of President Yoon's visit to the U.S., the two countries will launch the "Acting the ROK-U.S. Alliance," on which they are also discussing a joint statement to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the ROK-U.S. Alliance. 
A high-ranking ROK government official met Korean correspondents in Washington,

DC in early April and said, "We need to issue a statement with details such as how to look back on the past 70 years, evaluate the current alliance, upgrade the bilateral relationship to the next level, and implement a stronger ‘acting alliance’ for the two countries.” At the summit, the two leaders will be expected to discuss ways to strengthen expansionary deterrence against North Korea in response to North Korea's escalating nuclear and missile threats. 
Ms. Kim Eun-hye, a senior Presidential secretary for public relations, said President Yoon's visit will be a historical turning point for the alliance to evolve the more active and rapid changes of international situations and future uncertainties. 

▲ President Yoon Suk-yeol (right) and U.S. President Joe Biden are shaking hands at the presidential office building in Yongsan, Seoul, on May 21, 2022

Dr. Cho Han-beom, a senior fellow at the Korea Institute for National Unification, said that President Yoon's visit was based on the judgement of the two leaders that the U.S. Indo-Pacific strategy and Korea's foreign strategy were in line with the upheaval of the international situation. 

He predicted that these two leaders will deal with the strengthening of cooperation among the Korean Peninsula, the U.S., and Japan at the regional strategy level, given that the Biden administration welcomed the Korean government's solution to forced labor as a breakthrough. 

It is also known that the ROK and the U.S. are in talks for President Yoon's joint speech to the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate. A senior Korean government official said, "It has not been decided yet, but the United States is also having an open mind." 
There have been a total of six state visits by the Korean President to the United States, and five special speeches have been made at joint meetings at the House and Senate. 
Kim Hyun-wook, Professor at the Department of American Studies, Korea National Diplomatic Academy, said the ROK-U.S. summit will be a powerful symbolic event for the 70th anniversary of the alliance. He was quoted by a Korean-language media as saying: "It is a very important opportunity for the U.S. to value the current government and the current ROK-U.S. alliance, and it is a very important opportunity for the U.S. to renew Korea's positive image of the U.S. people." 
Meanwhile, South Korea and the U.S. are closely watching the possibility of various armed provocations by North Korea next month. There will be a possibility of North Korea's major provocation during President Yoon's visit to the U.S. 
According to recent reports by Park Won-gon, a professor of North Korean Studies at Ewha Womans University, "The level of remarks made by President Biden is important. No matter what kind of nuclear weapons North Korea uses, the U.S. punishes it with asymmetrically much stronger nuclear capabilities. This type of message is expected to come out from President Biden.” 
Ac cording t o repor t s in Seoul, President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden will host a state dinner for President Yoon Suk-yeol and First Lady Kim Keon Hee. 
The White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a released statement that Yoon's upcoming trip will mark the second state visit by a foreign leader to the U.S. since Biden took office in January 2021. 
National Secur ity Advisor Kim Sung-han said that President Yoon's U.S. trip will provide an opportunity to strengthen U.S. extended deterrence. The ROK and the U.S. have agreed to actively seek ways to enhance the implementation of the ROK-U.S. alliance's extended deterrence against North Korea on the occasion of President Yoon Suk-yeol's state visit to the U.S. 

▲  U.S. President Joe Biden (left) makes a gesture while discussing pending issues between Korea and the U.S. with President Yoon Suk-yeol.

On April 5, Presidential spokesperson Lee Do-woon had a briefing that the President received an invitation to make the speech from Rep. Michael McCaul (Republican-Texas), chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, in a meeting with a visiting U.S. bipartisan congressional delegation at the presidential office in Seoul. 
The spokesperson quoted the President Yoon as saying that he was happy over receiving an invitation to deliver a historic speech on the podium of Congress on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the Korea-U.S. alliance. 
At this juncture it might not be amiss to introduce the main details of the 
New Year Address of President Yoon Suk-yeol to the Nation Assembly. 

▲  U.S. President Joe Biden (left) greets President Yoon Suk-yeol before holding a summit.

Here are the excerpts: 
My beloved fellow Koreans, compatriots overseas, 
The hope filled New Year 2023 has dawned. I wish everyone a Happy New Year. 

Last year, we faced difficulties at home and abroad amid uncertainty in a complex global economic crisis, but we were able to overcome those challenges thanks to our people’s hard work and determination. 
Countries around the world have relied on high interest rates to counter runaway raw material prices and inflation caused by global supply chain disruptions. 
The possibility of the world economy slipping into a recession this year is higher than ever before. 
Since the fallout from the global downturn could slow our real economy, we have to monitor this grave economic situation closely. 

We will employ preemptive measures to keep the inevitable interest rate hikes to curb inflation from placing excessive borrowing costs on households and businesses.
Exports are our key to overcoming this complex crisis. They form the basis of our economy and create jobs. 
However, with the World Trade Organization being undermined and protectionism escalating, we are seeing the bundling of security, economic and technology cooperation policies. 
Our export strategy must differ from the past. 
Those countries that share the universal values of freedom, human rights and the rule of law are banding together through their economies and industries. This solidarity based on these universal values is the most strategic choice in the current diplomatic landscape. 

▲  President Yoon Suk-yeol (left) and First Lady Kim Gun-hee (right) take a commemorative photo with U.S. President Joe Biden at a gala dinner held at a hotel in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on May 12 (local time).

I will personally attend to our export strategy while focusing all diplomatic efforts on the economy. 
A project to help our businesses receive a total of US$50 billion in overseas orders will be put into operation. Infrastructure construction, nuclear power plants and the defense industry will be fostered as new export engines. 
Trade finance will be increased to 360 trillion won, an all time high. We will mobilize all policy capabilities to expand the reach of the Republic of Korea’s exports to every part of the world. 
World history has taught us that – when crises and challenges engulf the global economy – those countries that identify new technologies and industries through innovation are the ones able to create quality jobs and achieve sustainable growth. 
We will provide all the support possible, so our future generations – equipped with entrepreneurship – will be able to take on challenges in new technologies and industries and achieve the outcomes desired. 
We will usher in the “Startup Korea” era, not only in the IT, bio, defense and nuclear power industries but also in carbon neutrality and entertainment. Investments in future strategic technology will also be made in a preemptive and bold manner. 

Starting with the successful launch of the Nuri space rocket this past June, we have ushered in the era of the space economy, opening up unlimited opportunities for future generations. 
Despite the difficult fiscal situation, the Government initiated the era of 30 trillion won in R&D investment. 

▲  President Yoon Suk-yeol and U.S. President Biden visited Osan Air Operations Command Aerospace Operations Headquarters on May 22.

The competitiveness of our industries will be strengthened further by new future strategic technologies. 
We will ensure that not a single means of support is overlooked when securing our country’s dominant positions in such key strategic technologies as aerospace, artificial intelligence and advanced bioengineering as well as the market for future technology. 
Fellow Koreans, 
There is no future for a country that is preoccupied with vested interests and rent seeking. 
The Republic of Korea’s future and our future generations’ fate depend upon three major reforms: labor, education and pension. These cannot be delayed any longer. 
First of all, we must drive economic growth through labor reforms. 
We will do all we can to ensure fairness in labor management and labor relations as well as improve workplace safety while flexibly adapting the labor market to meet changing demands. 
The dual structure of our labor market needs to be improved. 
The Government must support companies pushing to transition to a duty oriented, performance based pay system in a different manner than it does with those that are preoccupied with a system based on seniority that seeks compromise with well-paid, yet demanding unions. 
The starting point for the labor reform is establishing the ‘rule of law in labor relations.’ 
‘Rule of law’ will provide a way to prevent unnecessary labor disputes and conflicts. With rule of law the value of labor will be rightfully respected.
Countries around the world are in life and death struggles to reform education in response to changing technology and the explosive demand for human resources. 
Higher education is directly related to our nation’s competitiveness. We will boldly transfer relevant authority to local areas and provide them the support needed, so they can link education to their specific industries. 
Without these educational reforms, it will be difficult to accomplish balanced regional development. Moreover, balanced regional development will provide a quick solution for the problem of low birth rates. 
Curricula will be diversified, so future generations will be able to receive the types of education they desire, and we will ensure that everyone enjoys equal opportunities. 

▲  President Yoon Suk-yeol (left) and the Korean delegates hold talks with U.S. President Joe Biden and his cabinet secretaries

Pension reform is important as well. 
The sustainability of the pension system cannot be guaranteed unless the issue of the snowballing deficit in pension finance is resolved. 
Among the countries that have succeeded in pension reform, one thing is common: They reached a decision after considerable research and lengthy discussions conducted to attain a social consensus. 
We will submit a legislative proposal on this reform to the National Assembly after conducting scientific research and investigations on pension finance, collecting public opinions and referring the issue to public discussions in a prompt manner. 
Fellow Koreans, Current crises and challenges are asking us to define what kind of a country the Republic of Korea is.

▲  President Yoon Suk-yeol (right) and U.S. President Joe Biden are coming out of the building after holding a summit.

When we have found that something has gone wrong, we have tried to rectify it. When we have headed in the wrong direction, we have tried to stop. When we have taken a fall, we have tried to stand on our own feet. With strong determination, we have pushed for change and innovation. 
Those with vested interests are tenacious in their obsessions, and compromising with them seems easy and convenient. But we have never settled for a small sea. 
Freedom will provide us with more opportunities, and solidarity will present us with a greater future. 
I will never lose sight of the mission our people have entrusted to me, and together with our great people, we will achieve a new takeoff. 
In this new year, 2023, let’s venture out into a greater sea where freedom thrives and opportunities abound. Thank you.”