US President Joe Biden (left), with Secretary of State Antony Blinken (second left), meets virtually with members of the "Quad" alliance of Australia, India, Japan and the US, in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington, DC, on March 12, 2021. On screens are then Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison. (OLIVIER DOULIERY / AFP)
WASHINGTON – US President Joe Biden will visit the Republic of Korea and Japan from May 20 to May 24 and hold talks with his Korean and Japanese counterparts, the White House said on Wednesday.
In Tokyo, Biden will also meet with the leaders of the Quad grouping of Australia, Japan, India, and the United States, the White House said in a statement.
In Tokyo, Biden will also meet with the leaders of the Quad grouping of Australia, Japan, India, and the United States, the White House said in a statement
"The leaders will discuss opportunities to deepen our vital security relationships, enhance economic ties, and expand our close cooperation to deliver practical results," it added.
Biden will meet ROK's new president Yoon Suk-yeol on May 21, during a three day visit that comes shortly after Yoon's swearing-in on May 10, Yonhap news agency reported.
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea is expected to be a key topic for discussion in both Seoul and Tokyo.
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Yoon and Biden will hold in-depth discussions on a broad range of issues including developing the alliance between the United States and ROK, "policy coordination on North Korea, economic security, and major regional and international affairs," Yoon's spokesperson Bae Hyun-jin said.
The DPRK is also referred to as North Korea.
The US president will travel to Japan on May 22, where he will meet Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, before both leaders attend a gathering of the Quad security group.
Biden and Kishida will seek ways to build on their ties to further peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region and beyond, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno told a briefing.
"It’s essential to further strengthen the US-Japan alliance and verify the ties that will allow us to work towards a free and open Indo-Pacific,” he said.