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South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol to visit White House in April

The White House announced Tuesday that South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol will travel to Washington for an official state visit on April 26. File Photo by South Korea's President Press Office/UPI
The White House announced Tuesday that South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol will travel to Washington for an official state visit on April 26. File Photo by South Korea's President Press Office/UPI | License Photo

March 7 (UPI) -- The White House announced Tuesday that South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol and first lady Kim Keon Hee will travel to Washington for an official state visit on April 26.

The state dinner comes on the 70th anniversary of the U.S.-South Korea alliance and at a critical time in the country's policy in Asia as Washington continues to rally allies as a counterweight to North Korea and China.

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White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the U.S.-South Korea alliance "is critical to advancing peace, stability and prosperity for our two countries, the Indo-Pacific and around the world."

"President [Joe] Biden and President Yoon will highlight the importance and enduring strength of the ironclad U.S.-ROK alliance, as well as the United States' unwavering commitment to the ROK," Jean-Pierre said.

The Republic of Korea is the official name of South Korea.

Yoon was elected president last May. South Korea announced plans Monday to compensate victims of Japanese wartime forced labor as a critical moment to settle a bitter dispute between two key U.S. allies.

The United States and South Korea will revive a massive springtime joint military exercise this month, both countries announced Friday, returning to a scale not seen in five years in response to growing missile and nuclear threats from North Korea.

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In December, the White House held a state visit for French President Emmanuel Macron. Russia's invasion of Ukraine played a key talking point during that state visit.

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