Watch Live: Biden and South Korean president hold press conference
President Joe Biden will appear at a joint press conference with South Korean President Moon Jae-in at the White House on Friday, the second in-person meeting with a foreign leader since Mr. Biden took office. The press briefing will come after a bilateral meeting between the two leaders.
Moon will also be in attendance at a ceremony earlier on Friday during which Mr. Biden will award the White House Medal of Honor to Korean War veteran retired Colonel Ralph Puckett Jr. in a ceremony.
How to watch the joint press conference:
- What: President Joe Biden and South Korean President Moon Jae-in hold a joint press conference
- Date: Friday, May 21, 2021
- Time: 5:00 p.m. ET
- Location: The East Room, The White House, Washington, D.C.
- Online stream: Live on CBSN in the player above or on your mobile or streaming device
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said Thursday that “North Korea will be a central topic of the discussion” between the two leaders.
“But they also will discuss climate. They will also discuss economic partnership. They will also discuss China,” Psaki said. When asked if Mr. Biden was open to holding direct talks with North Korean Leader Kim Jong-un, Psaki said that she didn’t “expect that to be top on his agenda.”
The meeting comes after the White House said last month that Mr. Biden would take a different tack with North Korea than his two immediate predecessors, neither following former President Donald Trump’s personal efforts nor former President Barack Obama’s hands-off approach.
“Our policy will not focus on achieving a grand bargain, nor will it rely on strategic patience,” Psaki told reporters on Air Force One last month.
But Moon said earlier this month in a press conference that he would press Mr. Biden to reopen diplomatic discussions with North Korea during their bilateral meeting.
“I will not be pressed by time or become impatient during the remainder of my term. However, if there is an opportunity to restart the clock of peace and advance the peace process on the Korean Peninsula, I will do everything I can,” said Moon, whose term ends next year. “I look forward to North Korea responding positively.”
The two leaders are also expected to discuss potential American aid to boost South Korea’s supply of the coronavirus vaccine. Psaki said Thursday that Mr. Biden and Moon will discuss U.S. efforts to “support South Korea in its fight against COVID-19, as well as how we can work together to combat the pandemic around the world.”
“We welcome the opportunity to discuss with them how we can work together to address the global pandemic,” Psaki said.
