Foreign minister seeks U.S. visit next month ahead of June summit

By Lee Chi-dong
SEOUL, April 22 (Yonhap) -- Beset by domestic troubles and a hectic schedule,
South Korea's foreign minister is struggling to fix a date for a trip to the U.S.
aimed at preparing for an upcoming summit between the nations' two leaders, aides
said Wednesday.
Yu Myung-hwan is hoping to visit Washington some time next month to discuss the
agenda and other details of the June 16 summit there between President Lee
Myung-bak and his counterpart Barack Obama.
Yu's trip to the U.S. would be his first since Obama took office and would set
the stage for his second formal talks with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton,
who traveled to Seoul in February as part of a regional tour.
"Minister Yu has yet to set a schedule," his spokesman Moon Tae-young said,
adding he is too busy now.
Yu has been preoccupied with discussions involving regional powers regarding the
aftermath of North Korea's rocket launch early this month. He has also come under
growing criticism for allegedly fumbling Seoul's push to join the Proliferation
Security Initiative (PSI), a U.S.-led campaign to crack down on the trafficking
of weapons of mass destruction.
South Korea expressed its willingness to take part in the PSI several weeks ago
but has delayed a formal announcement several times apparently due to concerns
about a strong backlash from the North and poor coordination among related
ministries.
A foreign ministry official handling North American affairs said the minister is
expected to visit Washington shortly before or after accompanying President Lee
on his Central Asian tour in the middle of next month.
"That is the timing being considered for now. There is no other time available,
given his tight schedule throughout next month," he said on condition of
anonymity. "He needs to visit Washington at least two or three weeks before the
summit to give some time for working-level preparations."
It is uncertain whether the government will be able to announce participation in
the PSI before Yu's trip, he added.
lcd@yna.co.kr
(END)