South Korean President Moon Jae-in has been hoping to use his first summit with U.S. President Joe Biden this week to press a legacy policy of engaging North Korea, but Washington has played down the prospect of any quick impetus on the issue.
In their meeting on Friday, Biden is set to prioritize boosting cooperation with Seoul on regional security more broadly — notably in response to the challenge posed by China — in high-tech industries such as microchips, the coronavirus pandemic and advancing policy on climate change.
South Korean officials were heartened by Biden's North Korea policy review, which called for a focus on practical diplomatic steps to reduce tensions while maintaining a final goal of persuading Pyongyang to give up its nuclear weapons.
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