The leader of the ruling People Power Party was set to leave for Washington on Monday for meetings with senior US government officials and congressional leaders to discuss ways to strengthen the alliance between the two countries, his party said.
Rep. Kim Gi-hyeon will lead a delegation of party members on the seven-day trip that also includes stops in New York and Los Angeles. Other lawmakers travelling together with Kim include Reps. Lee Chul-gyu, Kim Seok-ki, Yoo Sang-bum, Kang Min-kuk and Ku Ja-keun.
Upon arrival in Washington on Monday, Kim is scheduled to visit the Korean War Veterans Memorial and hold a meeting with Koreans residing in the US
The following day, he plans to meet National Security Council Coordinator for Indo-Pacific Affairs Kurt Campbell, State Department officials and members of Congress, as well as experts from US think tanks, according to the party.
Topics for the meetings will be about strengthening the alliance on its 70th anniversary, including measures to follow up on the Washington Declaration that President Yoon Suk Yeol and US President Joe Biden adopted at their summit in April.
On Wednesday, the People Power Party delegation will also visit the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in DC and hold talks with South Korean businesspeople before heading to New York.
In New York, the delegation will visit the UN headquarters and meet the UN Security Council president. They are also scheduled to hold talks with South Korean businesspeople, officials from US think tanks, as well as Koreans residing in New York.
They will wind up the trip in Los Angeles, with a policy meeting with Koreans in the city. (Yonhap)
