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the day after her inaguration ceremony. Also at the meeting were US ambassador to South Korea Sung Kim (second from the right) (provided by the Blue House)

By Seok Jin-hwan, Blue House correspondent and Park Hyun, Washington correspondent

Park Geun-hye plans to follow the precedent set by previous presidents by visiting the US on her first overseas visit, with a summit meeting scheduled with president Barack Obama in early May.

While the decision was expected, given the US’s diplomatic importance, a number of issues remain to be addressed between the two leaders.

First among them is the matter of strengthening the alliance in response to the recent crisis on the Korean Peninsula with North Korea’s third nuclear test, the United Nations sanctions imposed in response, and Pyongyang’s declaration that it would nullify the 1953 armistice agreement. Experts are also predicting the two leaders will discuss Park’s ideas for a “trust-building process” in inter-Korean affairs, an area of continued emphasis during her election campaign, and for getting the six-party talks on the nuclear issue off the ground again. A Blue House official said the discussions would likely address ideas for cooperation on the 60th anniversary of the alliance this year, as well as a wide range of other issues, including North Korea’s nuclear program.

Another major item on the agenda is likely to be amending the two countries’ atomic energy agreement, which currently restricts the reprocessing of spent fuel rods. The current agreement will expire in March 2014. Park already made a request along these lines during a meeting with US House Committee on Foreign Affairs chairman Ed Royce after her election, asking for cooperation from him and other members of Congress so that the agreement could be amended in a more “future-oriented” way.

The scheduled reversion of wartime operational command to South Korea may also come up in connection with the North Korean nuclear issue. During her campaign, Park said she would make preparations for the handover to go ahead without problems in 2015, but politicians have recently been suggesting that it might be premature, citing the North Korean nuclear program and other issues.

One more issue that needs to be addressed is South Korea’s share of the costs for US Forces in Korea. The two countries planned to hold a meeting of foreign ministers some time before the summit in late March or early April and attempt to reach some agreement on the agenda ahead of time.

The decision to set the date for the summit in early May seems to be intended to allow enough time to watch for the immediate possibility of provocations from North Korea before beginning discussions on cooperation under less pressure. A number of events are scheduled for the interim, including the third anniversary of the ROKS Cheonan warship sinking in late March and April’s Foal Eagle exercises in South Korea, and Kim Il-sung’s birthday and the anniversary of the Korean People’s Army in North Korea.

Meanwhile, some are charging Washington with a breach of protocol by disclosing the summit schedule in advance. Speaking before the Asia Society in New York on Mar. 11, White House national security adviser Tom Donilon effectively announced that Park would be making an early May visit, saying that she had accepted Obama’s invitation the month before.

In the past, the White House has traditionally waited for a date to be set before announcing the summit schedule through the press secretary’s office. Donilon’s remarks came when the date had not been decided upon.

The aim may have been to show Washington’s commitment to South Korea’s defense amid the ongoing North Korean threat, but both the Blue House and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs were openly upset about the surprise announcement.

Cho Tae-young, a spokesman for the ministry, said it had “no idea beforehand that [Donilon] was going to say that.”

A senior Blue House official also expressed consternation.

“We were a bit shocked to see the reports” about Donilon’s remarks, the official said.

Please direct questions or comments to [english@hani.co.kr]