South Korean President-elect Park eun-hye plans to send a high-level delegation to the United States or policy consultations with the American ally, her spokesman said Friday.
Rep. Lee Hahn-koo, floor leader of the ruling Saenuri Party, ill visit the U.S. in the near future as head of a “policy consultation delegation” that includes three members of the transition team and government officials, spokesman Park Sun-kyoo said.
The U.S. has welcomed the planned visit and the two sides are discussing details, such as timing and itinerary, he said, declining to give specifics, including whether the delegation plans to meet with U.S. President Barack Obama.
“As both countries are ushering in new governments, (the two sides) are expected to discuss policy directions of the new governments, ways to strengthen relations between the two countries and other issues of common interest,” the spokesman said.
Other members of the delegation include Rep. Na Seong-lin of the ruling party, transition team foreign policy experts Lee Chung-min and Hong Yong-pyo and Deputy Foreign Minister Kim Kyou-hyun, he said.
Floor leader Lee was chosen to lead the delegation as he is well aware of Park’s foreign policy philosophy, and Lee and Hong of the transition team were also deeply involved in formulating Park’s campaign promises, the spokesman said.
The spokesman declined to talk about specific topics of discussion, but they are expected to include a possible summit between Park and Obama in the first half of this year, tensions over North Korea and other outstanding issues between the two countries.
Earlier this week, former lawmaker and close aide Kim Moo-sung visited Beijing as a special envoy of Park and met with China’s next leader Xi Jinping, Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi and other top officials. (Yonhap News)
