South Korean president Yoon Suk Yeol is set to receive a warm welcome in Washington this week, spending two days with his US counterpart Joe Biden on a state visit that will underline Seoul’s position on the front lines of top US economic and security concerns in Asia.South Korea’s manufacturing muscle and expertise in semiconductors and electric-vehicle batteries make the country a key part of the Biden administration’s push to reduce dependence on China in critical technologies.
The large US military presence in South Korea underscores Seoul’s role in maintaining Washington’s security posture in east Asia, particularly as North Korea’s weapons programme gains increasing sophistication.
But the pomp of the state visit, which will include a summit on Wednesday before Yoon addresses a joint session of Congress a day later, also indicates Washington’s acknowledgment of Seoul’s concerns about the intensifying economic confrontation between the US and China, as well as a growing North Korean nuclear threat.