White House Announces State Visit With World Leader

(RightWing.org) – The White House has announced that South Korea’s president will be making a state visit to the US next month. The event marks a significant anniversary for both countries. It’s also intended to send a message that the US will support its allies, even when they’re under pressure from hostile states.

Yoon’s visit comes as South Korea this year marks the 70th anniversary of its security alliance with the United States. Since taking office last May, Yoon has drawn South Korea closer to the United States as Seoul grapples with North Korea and China. https://t.co/1LQITII5A9

— Michelle Ye Hee Lee (@myhlee) March 7, 2023

On March 7, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre announced that South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and his wife Kim Keon Hee will visit the US on April 26. A state dinner will be held in their honor at the White House. The visit is to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the alliance between the US and South Korea, although the actual anniversary of the signing of the 1953 Mutual Defense Treaty is on October 1. News that the two countries were about to sign a formal alliance has been credited with persuading North Korea and China to end the Korean War, in which over five million people died.

Since the treaty was signed, the US has kept the Eighth Army and Seventh Air Force in South Korea to guarantee the country’s security. In return, South Korea sent troops to assist the US Army during the Vietnam War. Today, some of the South Koreans who were called up for mandatory military service still serve in US units under the KATUSA program.

According to Jean-Pierre, President Yoon’s visit will demonstrate the “importance and enduring strength” of the US-South Korean alliance. That’s particularly important now, with North Korea continuing to develop and test nuclear weapons and the missiles to deliver them. Some of those missiles can now reach the continental US, and a strong US presence in South Korea doesn’t just protect that country from its aggressive neighbor; it also helps to deter the rogue regime in Pyongyang from attacking the US because if they do, there’s a US force in the region that can retaliate.