SEOUL, South Korea – South Korean media say the nation’s new president will visit the White House late next month amid worries over North Korea’s escalating progress in its nuclear and missile arsenal.
Officials made the announcement to local media, and the trip couldn’t be immediately confirmed by foreign news organizations. There were no other immediate details.
The announcement Tuesday comes days after North Korea successfully tested a powerful new missile that analysts believe could reach Alaska when perfected.
Liberal South Korean President Moon Jae-in favors a softer approach to North Korea than his conservative predecessors and has offered to visit Pyongyang if the circumstances are right.
But Washington is Seoul’s closest ally and military protector, and the North’s rising nuclear and missile tests make close coordination crucial.