President Lee to meet with Clinton, Gates during U.S. trip

SEOUL, June 12 (Yonhap) -- South Korean President Lee Myung-bak will hold a
series of meetings with key U.S. administration officials during his trip to
Washington next week for a summit with U.S. President Barack Obama, Seoul's
presidential office Cheong Wa Dae said Friday.

Shortly after his arrival in the U.S. capital on Monday, President Lee will meet
with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who will brief the president on
current security and international issues regarding the two countries, including
the North Korean nuclear problem, Kim Eun-hye, a vice spokeswoman for Cheong Wa
Dae, told reporters.
He will then talk with U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates, followed by a meeting
with the Secretary of Treasury, Timonthy F. Geithner.
Lee will also meet with U.S. Trade Representative Ronald Kirk later Monday to
discuss the pending free trade agreement (FTA) between their countries.
"The meetings will be an opportunity for President Lee to listen to U.S.
positions on the various issues ahead of his summit with President Obama," the
Cheong Wa Dae spokeswoman told reporters.
Lee and Obama are scheduled to hold a summit on Tuesday (Washington time).
The South Korean president is also set to meet with the Democratic and Republican
leaders of both the Senate and the House during his three-day stay in the U.S.,
according to Cheong Wa Dae.
bdk@yna.co.kr
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