LEAD) S. Korean president due in Washington for summit with Obama

(ATTN: UPDATES with remarks from Cheong Wa Dae official, minor changes)
By Byun Duk-kun
SEOUL, June 9 (Yonhap) -- South Korean President Lee Myung-bak will travel to the
United States next week for a summit with his U.S. counterpart Barack Obama for
talks on ways to strengthen the alliance between their countries and cooperation
in dealing with North Korea's nuclear provocations, Seoul's presidential office
said Tuesday.

The summit will be held in Washington on June 16, the day after the South Korean
president arrives in the U.S. capital on an "official working visit," according
to the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae.
Lee's U.S. trip follows North Korea's second nuclear test on May 25. The
communist state conducted its first atomic detonation in October 2006.
"President Lee's U.S. visit will be an especially meaningful trip as the leaders
of South Korea and the United States will reaffirm their strong determination to
further develop the alliance and discuss ways to closely cooperate with each
other to achieve complete and verifiable denuclearization of North Korea," Cheong
Wa Dae said in a press release.
The White House earlier said the U.S. president was looking forward to "exploring
ways in which the two countries can strengthen cooperation on the regional and
global challenges of the 21st century."
Lee and Obama are expected to sign a document at the end of their summit on a
"joint vision for the Korea-U.S. alliance," which will detail steps for
developing what has been largely a military alliance into a strategic,
future-oriented relationship spanning across social, political and economic
issues, a Cheong Wa Dae official said.
"We are also working with the U.S. side to include U.S. commitment to the
provision of a nuclear umbrella to South Korea in the joint statement," the
official told reporters, asking not to be identified.
The Lee-Obama meeting will be followed by a joint press conference and an
official lunch, according to Cheong Wa Dae.
The South Korean president's itinerary also includes meetings with ranking U.S.
officials and business leaders as he is expected to rally support for the
ratification of a Korea-U.S. free trade agreement signed two years ago.
Lee will receive an honorary doctorate degree from George Washington University
before heading back home on May 18.
bdk@yna.co.kr
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