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 President
Park Geun-hye met her U.S. counterpart Barack Obama
at the White House in Washington on May 7. The two leaders met for
the first time, as their countries mark the 60th anniversary of
the bilateral alliance this year,
celebrating “sixty years of bilateral partnership and shared prosperity.” Park’s visit
to the United States, her first foreign visit since her inauguration,
provided significant momentum to upgrade the bilateral
alliance to the level of a comprehensive strategic alliance.
 During
the summit, Park and Obama discussed ways to find solutions to problems concerning
the Korean Peninsula, including the North Korean nuclear issue, and to strengthen
the Seoul-Washington alliance. They also agreed to look through the bilateral
free trade pact, the bilateral nuclear energy treaty, the transfer
of full-time operational control over
the South Korean troops to Seoul, and the upkeep cost for U.S. Forces
Korea.
Right after their summit, the two leaders adopted a joint declaration
to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the bilateral alliance. The
declaration lays down the framework for
reestablishing the bilateral
relationship of cooperation. It reaffirms
the alliance as an “anchor for stability, security, and prosperity
on the Korean Peninsula, in the Asia-Pacific region, and increasingly around the world.”
 In
a joint press conference, Obama praised Park for her “calm and steady
resolve” in the face of threats and
provocations. The two countries
are “as united as ever,” he said. “We’re determined to be fully
prepared for any challenge or threat to our security.” Their summit
was a watershed in their joint
efforts to find solutions to the Korean Peninsula crisis, including
the North Korean nuclear issue and the suspended operation of the
joint-Korean Kaesong Industrial Complex.
Before traveling to Washington, Park arrived in New York on May
5 on the first leg of her U.S. tour. In New York, she had a meeting
with Korean nationals. The following day, she met with UN Secretary
General Ban Ki-moon. In their meeting, Ban praised Park “for her
firm, but measured response to recent provocative actions” by Pyongyang
and strongly supported “her determination to resolve inter-Korean
differences through building trust and dialogue.”
In Washington on May 6, Park visited Arlington National Cemetery
and the Korean War Veterans Memorial. She met with Jim Yong Kim,
the president of the World Bank, and attended events, such as a
roundtable luncheon hosted
by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Park addreseds a joint session
of the U.S. Congress on May 8.
 The latest
Seoul-Washington summit will surely have long-term effects on the
future of East Asia. In the summit, Park found her vision of the
“Korean Peninsula trust process,” a set of policy guidelines on
North Korea, fall in line with Obama’s “pivot to Asia” policy. The
two leaders reaffirmed that the two countries “look forward to shaping
together the future of Asia for generations to come.” Park returned
home on May 10 after a stopover in Los Angeles on
May 8-9. |
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