U.S. President Biden is planning to host South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol for a White House state dinner this spring, according to a report Thursday.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Washington Times.
In a statement, Mr. Yoon’s office responded to the report on a state visit saying, “It is not the official position of the U.S. government.” Although it is unclear what the office meant by that.
While plans are still in flux, the dinner is expected to occur in late April, according to Bloomberg News, which first broke the story.
If Mr. Yoon does attend a state dinner in April, it would be Mr. Biden’s second as president. In December, Mr. Biden hosted French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife for a state dinner.
A state visit is the highest-level visit by a foreign leader and involves lots of pomp and circumstance, culminating with the dinner.
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The last visit to the U.S. by a Korean leader was 12 years ago when then-President Lee Myung-bak arrived in October 2011 upon the invitation of President Obama.
Mr. Yoon and Mr. Biden have been in close contact as they work to wean their countries off the Chinese supply chain as well as counter Beijing and North Korea’s military aggression in the region.
The two spoke in November about North Korea’s missile program and will talk again in May when Japan hosts the Group of Seven summit, a meeting of the leading industrial nations.
• Jeff Mordock can be reached at jmordock@washingtontimes.com.
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