S.Korean Prez likely to visit Spain for first overseas trip

Seoul, June 2 South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol is likely to visit Spain later this month to attend a NATO summit in what would be his first overseas trip after assuming office last month, officials said on Thursday.

Yoon is considering attending the summit of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in Madrid on June 29 and 30.

"An advance team consisting of protocol and security service officials is currently on location where the NATO summit will be held," an official at the presidential office told Yonhap News Agency.

Though South Korea is not a NATO member, the President could use his participation in the summit to demonstrate solidarity with the US and European nations in their opposition to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Yoon's attendance will also likely underscore his administration's commitment to strengthening ties with Washington in the wake of his summit with US President Joe Biden in Seoul on May 21.

An official at the presidential National Security Office said Yoon's attendance has not been finalised, as there are several factors that need to be considered, such as which other countries are participating.

No other countries are currently under consideration as part of Yoon's first trip overseas, the official added.

The NATO summit could set the stage for a series of bilateral and multilateral meetings for Yoon, including a possible summit with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and a trilateral summit with Kishida and Biden.

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