But the ROK leader will face trade pressure at first summit

WASHINGTON - US President Donald Trump and Moon Jae-in, president of the Republic of Korea, may present a unified front over Pyongyang at the White House on Thursday and Friday, but tension over trade could puncture their effort to strengthen the US-ROK relations.

Moon, making his first trip to the United States since becoming his country's leader, will join Trump and his wife, Melania, for dinner in the White House State Dining Room on Thursday night ahead of meetings on Friday that are expected to touch on the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's nuclear program and the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system that the US deployed in the ROK in March.

Both men have an interest in building a strong relationship.

Moon wants to form a friendship with the former New York businessman and find common ground on ways to resolve the crisis over Pyongyang's nuclear and missile programs.

"If President Trump and I make strong personal ties of friendship and trust and if we were to try to resolve the (DPRK) nuclear issue on the basis of these personal ties, then I believe we will be able to achieve the resolution of the issue," Moon said last week.

But trade could affect that relationship-building process.

In April, Trump called the five-year-old trade pact between the Washington and Seoul, known as KORUS, "horrible" and "unacceptable" and said he would either renegotiate or terminate it.

"I think they'll have a friendly and frank discussion about the trade relationship," a White House official told reporters on Wednesday.

The US goods trade deficit with the ROK has more than doubled since KORUS took effect in 2012, from $13.2 billion in 2011 to $27.7 billion last year. It was forecast to boost US exports by $10 billion a year, but they were $3 billion lower last year than in 2011.

THAAD deployment

Another potential sticking point could revolve around the THAAD deployment.

Moon expressed shock late last month upon learning that four more launchers for the controversial system had been brought into the country. He ordered a probe after his Defense Ministry failed to inform him of the move.

On his flight to Washington, Moon said dialogue for the DPRK's dismantlement of its nuclear program can be launched when Pyongyang stops further provocations and promises the freezing of its nuclear program.

Meanwhile, experts called for the Moon government to make efforts to encourage the DPRK to come back to the dialogue table.

The Six-Party Talks aimed to dismantle the DPRK's nuclear program, which involves the ROK, the DPRK, China, the US, Russia and Japan, has been suspended since late 2008.

Choi Jong-kun, a professor at Yonsei University in Seoul and a campaign adviser to Moon on foreign policy, said it will be important to bring the DPRK back to the dialogue table through Seoul's sufficient policies on Pyongyang.

Choi said the government supported a balanced policy direction of engagement with and sanctions on the DPRK.

Reuters - Xinhua - Ap

(China Daily 06/30/2017 page12)