President Yoon Suk Yeol and first lady Kim Keon Hee on April 24 bow and say farewell before boarding the presidential plane Code One at Seoul Air Base in Seongnam, Gyeonggi-do Province, to go on his state visit of the U.S. (Kim Sunjoo)

By Yoo Yeon Gyeong

President Yoon Suk Yeol on April 24 departed for his state visit to the U.S.

He and first lady Kim Keon Hee in the afternoon boarded the presidential plane Code One at Seoul Air Base in Seongnam, Gyeonggi-do Province, to head for Washington.

They will return on April 30 after a five-night, seven-day stay.

President Yoon is the nation's first leader to make a state visit to the U.S. since Lee Myung-bak in 2011.

President Yoon on April 25 will attend a bilateral business roundtable with an accompanying economic mission of around 120 members. He will also attend a forum on cutting-edge industries of both countries to discuss Korean corporate advances into the American market and plans to attract investment.

President Yoon will also visit the Goddard Space Flight Center of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, aka NASA, for talks with ethnic Korean experts and stress bilateral cooperation to take an early lead in the space economy.

His summit with U.S. President Joe Biden is slated for April 26 at the White House.

The main agenda is enhancement of the effectiveness of extended deterrence against North Korea's escalating nuclear threat. Yonhap News and other Korean media said the summit will also cover alleviation of disadvantages faced by Korean corporations due to the implementation of the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act and CHIPS and Science Act.

The results of the summit will be announced in a joint news conference at the White House's Rose Garden.

The next day, President Yoon will address a joint session of Congress.

His 30-minute speech in English will reflect on the 70-year history of the bilateral alliance, assess the tasks and challenges it faces, and lay a blueprint for its future.

President Yoon will also receive a direct briefing from American military leaders on the situation on the Korean Peninsula, an event seen to symbolize stronger bilateral cooperation in national security.

On April 28, he will head to Boston to give a policy speech on "Pioneering a New Freedom Trail" at Harvard Kennedy School.

President Yoon on April 29 will fly back to Korea after finishing his schedule in Boston.

dusrud21@korea.kr