President Trump will visit the Republic of Korea in late June, where he will underscore the United States’ support of and bond with the Korean people.
Trump, accompanied by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, will meet with President Moon Jae-in to discuss the strong relationship between the two countries, including trade, mutual defense, and “close coordination on efforts to achieve the final, fully verified denuclearization of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea,” according to a State Department release.
The meeting coincides with the 69th anniversary of the start of the Korean War. “The Korean War anniversary is a reminder of allied troops’ selfless bravery and U.S. and ROK resolve to defend liberty against aggression in the past and future,” State Department spokesperson Morgan Ortagus said in a tweet. “This history should be taught in our #IndoPacific region and around the world — not forgotten or distorted.”
Over the two and a half years of his presidency, Trump has emphasized the long shared history between the U.S. and the Republic of Korea and has worked to strengthen the relationship.
Working together, presidents Trump and Moon revamped the U.S.-Republic of Korea free trade agreement, which supports economic relations between the two countries. The Republic of Korea is one of the United States’ closest trading partners, with more than $130 billion in two-way goods trade and $36.9 billion in services in 2018.
The trade relationship is reinforced by an iron-clad security agreement, in which the United States and the Republic of Korea work closely to face shared regional challenges.
President Trump and Secretary Pompeo will be in Asia to take part in a meeting of the world’s 20 largest economies, known as the Group of 20 or G20.
