A Foreign Ministry official said U.S. President Barack Obama’s itinerary for his visit to South Korea later this month for the 2012 Seoul Nuclear Security Summit has not been confirmed, dismissing news reports that Obama may visit the demilitarized zone between South and North Korea.
“In the past when former U.S. presidents visited South Korea, they used to visit U.S. forces stationed here. But the U.S. has not decided on his movements yet,” the official said on condition of anonymity.
“If these things are reported in advance, we cannot help but change our plans,” he said.
The official’s comments came after local news reports said Obama is considering a visit to the DMZ and a U.S. base there to boost the morale of American soldiers. Obama will be in Korea March 25-27.
A DMZ visit could be part of Obama’s strategy to win his re-election in November, news reports said.
Former U.S. presidents including Bill Clinton visited the DMZ to reaffirm the U.S.-South Korea alliance and warn of strong retaliation to any North Korean provocation.
