South Korea's President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol (left) and US President Joe Biden (Yonhap-EPA)
President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol's team has not received confirmation of details for a possible summit with US President Joe Biden, his spokesperson said Wednesday.
A summit could take place in late May shortly after Yoon takes office if Biden stops in South Korea before or after a trip to Japan to attend a Quadrilateral Security Dialogue meeting around May 24.
"On the timing and schedule, I believe the relevant departments are holding consultations," Yoon's spokesperson Bae Hyun-jin said at a press briefing. "On our part, we have not been able to confirm and have not received confirmation of anything."
Yoon held a phone call with Biden hours after his election victory, and the US president invited him to the White House. Yoon responded that he hopes to meet with Biden soon.
Last week, a policy consultation delegation sent by Yoon met with US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan at the White House, and the two sides discussed the need for an early summit, according to the chief delegate, Rep. Park Jin.
Bae also said last week that Yoon hopes for a summit at an early date.
"If the leaders of South Korea and the United States hold an early summit, I believe it will be a favorable factor for the people from the perspective of the security crisis," she said Wednesday, noting that outgoing President Moon Jae-in has recently expressed concern about a "security vacuum."
Bae was referring to earlier tensions between the incoming and outgoing administrations as Moon's office opposed Yoon's plan to relocate the presidential office to the defense ministry compound.
Moon's office had expressed concern over a "security vacuum" that could result from moving the ministry's offices at a time when tensions are running high over North Korea's nuclear and missile threats.
Meanwhile, Yoon's delegation to the US will soon announce the results of its trip to Washington last week, the spokesperson added. (Yonhap)
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