Biden pays tribute to Korean War dead in Seoul
Seoul, May 21 (EFE).- The President of the United States Joe Biden on Saturday paid tribute to the soldiers who died in the Korean War (1950-1953) at Seoul’s National Cemetery, during the second day of his South Korea visit.
Biden placed a floral tribute in front of the monument of the fallen and observed a minute of silence in the honor of those who lost their lives in a conflict in which the US fought alongside South Korea against the north.
No peace treaty has been signed since the conflict, leaving the two Koreas technically still at war with each other.
Subsequently, the US president headed to the new presidential office in the capital for a summit with his counterpart Yoon Suk-yeol.
Yoon, who assumed office just 11 days ago, has promised a harder stance against Pyongyang, which has appeared unwilling to open a dialog with Seoul and Washington, while witnessing its first Covid-19 wave since the beginning of the pandemic.
The main points on the summit’s agenda include South Korea’s inclusion to the Biden administration’s ambitious Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF), the pandemic situation in the impoverished North Korea and its regime’s intentions, after it approved a weapons modernization program and has already carried out a record number of arms tests this year.
Amid the growing threat perception, Yoon, who has backed closer ties with the US, could seek an increase in the US military assets on South Korean soil.
Biden’s Asia visit – with Japan being his next stop on Sunday – is the first since he came to power and has triggered concerns that North Korea might test-launch an intercontinental ballistic missile or even carry out a nuclear test during the US president’s trip to the region.
The visit has also been marked by the heightened tensions between Washington and Beijing
Biden and Yoon are expected to hold detailed discussions about the IPEF, a cooperation mechanism which is aimed at isolating China from regional supply chains, according to many experts. EFE
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