(lead) Obama likely to visit Seoul ahead of Singapore APEC summit in Nov.: sources

(ATTN: UPDATES with more details, background throughout)
By Hwang Doo-hyong
WASHINGTON, Aug. 13 (Yonhap) -- U.S. President Barack Obama will likely visit
South Korea in November on his way to the annual Asia Pacific Economic
Cooperation forum in Singapore, diplomatic sources here said Thursday.

It will be Obama's first trip to South Korea since taking office in January,
although he has met with South Korean President Lee Myung-bak twice, first in
London in April on the sidelines of the G20 economic summit and in Washington in
June.
In a daily news briefing, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said that Obama will
attend the APEC forum on Nov. 14-15, adding "The president expects to visit other
countries during his trip to the region, and further announcements will be
forthcoming when those plans are, indeed, finalized."
Gibbs did not mention South Korea, but many believe the major Asian ally of the
United States will be a stop on Obama's itinerary, along with China, Japan and
possibly Indonesia. Obama lived in Indonesia for years as a child.
While in Singapore, Obama "will explore working with APEC leaders to promote open
trade and investment, support economic recovery and sustainable development and
address key challenges facing the region and the world," Gibbs said.
In their meeting in Seoul, Lee and Obama are expected to discuss a "comprehensive
package" to denuclearize North Korea amid speculation that North Korea is trying
to use the recent trip to Pyongyang by former U.S. President Bill Clinton as a
turning point to terminate its recent provocations, including nuclear and missile
tests.
Seoul and Washington officials are still in the process of formulating the
diplomatic initiative, which they said would be a breakaway from a 2005
six-nation agreement, which critics say North Korea has used to buy time without
taking substantive steps toward nuclear dismantlement.
Despite the surprise visit to Pyongyang by former U.S. President Bill Clinton
last week, Obama has said Washington will continue sanctioning Pyongyang unless
the communist regime resumes the six-party talks and takes denuclearization
steps.
Obama said in June after a meeting with Lee that he would not bow to the North's
traditional brinkmanship.
"There's been a pattern in the past where North Korea behaves in a belligerent
fashion and if it waits long enough is then rewarded with foodstuffs and fuel and
concessionary loans and a whole range of benefits," he said.
Lee also said at that time that the "North Koreans will come to understand that
this is different, that they will not be able to repeat the past, or their past
tactics and strategies."
The leaders will also likely focus on the ratification of the Korea-U.S. Free
Trade Agreement, signed in 2007.
Some reports say that Obama may submit the free trade deal to Congress for
approval before his proposed second visit to Seoul in April next year to attend a
G20 economic summit in the South Korean capital. Lee and Obama are also to attend
an economic summit in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, next month.
While meeting with Lee in June, Obama said he will seek the appropriate
"political timing" for submission of the KORUS FTA to Congress "once we have
resolved some of the substantive issues."
At issue are what the U.S. calls an imbalance in auto trade and restricted
shipments of beef.
"In Korea, there are issues of beef imports," Obama said at the time. "In the
United States, there are questions about whether there's sufficient reciprocity
with respect to cars. These are all understandable, legitimate issues for
negotiation."
Lee responded by saying he "welcomed the initiation of working-level
consultations, to make progress on the issues surrounding the agreement," noting
that both sides "agreed to make joint efforts to chart a way forward on the
deal."
U.S. officials have said they favor side agreements to address the auto and beef
issues without revising the text of the trade deal itself.
The trade deal has yet to be approved by the Democratic Congress, which is
focused on health-care reform and economic measures to cope with the global
economic crisis. U.S. lawmakers remain lukewarm to three pending trade deals,
including pacts with Panama and Colombia.
Concerns linger over a possible backlash from labor unions, the Democratic
political power base, which fear job losses stemming from the FTAs.
South Korean Trade Minister Kim Jong-hoon, however, said recently, "It is not a
matter of yes or no. I would say it is just a matter of time."
hdh@yna.co.kr
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