Biden, South Korean leader to consult on how to check NKorea

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — President Joe Biden is devoting his Saturday to cementing ties with South Korea and its new leader Yoon Suk Yeol as the two sides consult on how best to check the nuclear threat from North Korea at a time when there’s little hope of real diplomacy on the matter.

In South Korea, Biden is touring factories for computer chips and next-generation autos in a democracy and engaging in talks for greater cooperation.

Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One as Biden made his way to South Korea, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said the U.S.

Prospects for real nuclear diplomacy are slim as North Korea has ignored South Korean and U.S.

Still, Biden and Yoon are expected to discuss ways to work with the international community to get the North much needed vaccines and tests, according to senior Biden administration officials who briefed reporters.

At the start of the administration, many White House officials thought that Kim’s nuclear ambitions would prove to be perhaps the administration’s most vexing challenge and that the North Korean leader would aim to test Biden’s mettle early in his time in office.

The Biden administration is calling on China to restrain North Korea from engaging in any missile or nuclear tests.

Speaking on Air Force One, Sullivan said Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping could hold a phone call in the coming weeks.

White House officials said Biden won’t visit the Demilitarized Zone dividing the Korean peninsula during his trip -- something that’s become standard for presidents during Seoul visits dating back to Ronald Reagan.