The leaders of South Korea and the U.S. will adopt a joint declaration to upgrade the 60-year-old military alliance of the two countries during their summit on Tuesday, Cheong Wa Dae said Friday.

President Park Geun-hye will embark on a six-day tour of the U.S. on Sunday. The first summit between Park and U.S. President Barack Obama is expected to focus on North Korea’s security threat and the expanded role of the bilateral alliance.

“The two countries are preparing a joint declaration on the new future development direction of their relations to coincide with their alliance’s 60th anniversary,” presidential spokesman Yoon Chang-jung told a news briefing.

“The joint declaration is planned to include core elements of the direction for the bilateral relationship’s development looking into the coming decades, going beyond the 2009 future vision for the alliance.”

The vision unveiled by former President Lee Myung-bak and Obama reaffirmed the two governments’ security commitment and pledged a “comprehensive strategic alliance of bilateral, regional and global scope, based on common values and mutual trust.”

The first face-to-face meeting will help the two presidents foster trust and facilitate policy coordination, Yoon said.

“Park is expected to strengthen cooperation with the U.S. on North Korea and its nuclear program amid the grave security situation on the peninsula, and secure Washington’s understanding and support for her trustpolitik and other main policies,” he added.

During her stay in the U.S., Park will pitch her policy of reengaging North Korea through a “trust-building process” despite Pyongyang’s persistent threats, according to her aides.

She will also use the trip to unveil her regional confidence-building plan called the Northeast Asia Peace and Cooperation Initiative, which calls for multilateral partnerships in non-security areas such as climate change, antiterrorism and nuclear energy.

Park is scheduled to touch down in New York on Monday before arriving in Washington the next day, where she will also deliver a speech at a joint session of U.S. Congress. She will then continue to Los Angeles to meet with top city officials, business leaders and overseas residents there.

By Shin Hyon-hee (heeshin@heraldcorp.com)