South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol and U.S. President Joe Biden will discuss the North's provocations in Seoul next Saturday.
Biden is set to arrive in Seoul on Friday in a three-day visit, Yonhap News Agency reported on Wednesday. The American President will hold a summit with Yoon amid concerns that the North might conduct a nuclear test or launch an intercontinental ballistic missile around the region.
Yoon and Biden will meet at least once each day, with Saturday dedicated to their summit and the other two days dedicated to either an economic security event or a national security event, Kim Tae-hyo, first deputy chief of the presidential National Security Office, noted.
Kim said: "At the moment, we assess that the possibility is relatively low of North Korea carrying out a nuclear test by the weekend, but preparations for an intercontinental ballistic missile launch appear to be imminent."
The summit will begin shortly after 1:30 p.m. at the new presidential office in Yongsan, central Seoul, first in a small group in Yoon's office on the fifth floor and then in an expanded format in the adjacent reception room.
"The first thing that will be addressed during the one-on-one summit will be coming up with an action plan for how South Korea and the United States will strengthen the reliable and effective extended deterrence," Kim said.
"In the event of a North Korean provocation, big or small, during the three-day summit period, depending on its characteristics, we have prepared a plan B so that the leaders of South Korea and the United States will immediately enter the command and control system of the South Korea-U.S. combined defense posture, even if it calls for changing schedules," he indicated.
Before arriving for the talks, Biden will pay tribute to fallen soldiers at Seoul National Cemetery.
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