President Lee Jae-myung will separately meet with US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng on Thursday, ahead of their visits to Korea for a US-China summit.
"President Lee will receive courtesy calls from Treasury Secretary Bessent and Vice Premier He on Thursday and hold separate meetings with each," Kang You-jung, senior spokesperson for the presidential office, said in a notice on Wednesday.
Bessent and He are reported to meet at Incheon International Airport on Thursday to coordinate the agenda for the US-China summit scheduled for Friday in Beijing. US President Donald Trump is set to pay a state visit to China from Thursday to Saturday.
Tariff issues and global supply chain stability are likely to be among the key topics at the US-China summit. Accordingly, observers expect President Lee to exchange views on related issues during his meetings with the two officials.
In particular, bilateral economic issues between Korea and the United States are expected to be on the table during the meeting with Bessent. Attention is focused on whether specific details of investment projects in the US, being pursued as a follow-up to tariff negotiations, will be discussed.
Amid growing uncertainty in the Middle East following the Iran war and the "Namoo incident," issues such as guaranteeing freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz may also be included in the talks.
