S. Korean President Lee arrives in U.S. for summit with Obama

WASHINGTON, June 15 (Yonhap) -- South Korean President Lee Myung-bak arrived here
Monday on an official visit to include talks with U.S. President Barack Obama on
various issues, including North Korea's renewed threat to develop nuclear arms.
Lee was set to meet with a number of ranking U.S. officials, including Secretary
of State Hillary Clinton and Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, later in the day
to prepare for his bilateral summit with his U.S. counterpart Tuesday.
"The meetings will be an opportunity for President Lee to listen to U.S.
positions on various issues ahead of his summit with President Obama," Kim
Eun-hye, a spokeswoman for South Korea's presidential office, Cheong Wa Dae, said
earlier in the day.
The South Korean president will also meet with U.S. Trade Representative Ronald
Kirk and Secretary of the Treasury Timothy Geithner later Monday to rally support
for a Korea-U.S. free trade agreement signed in 2007.
He is also set to hold talks with the leaders of the U.S. Senate and the House
Tuesday, according to South Korean officials accompanying Lee.
The Lee-Obama meeting follows Pyongyang's recent announcement that it will soon
start a uranium enrichment program to produce nuclear weapons, in addition to
restarting its plutonium-based weapons program.
The latest threat comes in the face of a U.N. Security Council resolution that
condemned and placed heavy sanctions on the communist North for its second
nuclear detonation test that took place May 23.
"North Korea will certainly top the agenda at the summit between President Lee
and President Obama," a Cheong Wa Dae official said.
The two leaders were expected to issue a joint statement at the end of their
summit here that will outline detailed plans for developing the military alliance
between their countries into a "strategic and future-oriented" alliance,
including extensive cooperation on social, political and economic issues,
according to officials.
Lee will head home Wednesday following a luncheon meeting with U.S. experts on
Korea.
bdk@yna.co.kr
(END)