Biden administration ready to work with Acting President Han

[Anchor]

The Biden administration in the United States has expressed support for the acting president Han Duck-soo's regime and announced that it will soon engage in face-to-face diplomacy with high-ranking officials from South Korea.

This is interpreted as a signal that the U.S.-South Korea alliance, which was shaken by the emergency martial law situation, is moving towards normalization.

Kim Ji-sook reports from Washington.

[Report]

Kurt Campbell, the Deputy Secretary of State and the second-in-command at the State Department, stated that a high-level meeting between South Korea and the U.S. is planned to take place before the Biden administration's term ends on the 20th of next month.

[Kurt Campbell/Deputy Secretary of State: "We do plan on high-level engagement in person, engagement with ROK appropriately in due course during the last weeks of the Biden administration."]

Following President Yoon Suk Yeol's declaration of emergency martial law, the meeting of the U.S.-South Korea nuclear consultative group and joint simulation exercises were indefinitely postponed, and the visit of the Defense Secretary to South Korea was canceled.

This is interpreted as a signal to normalize the previously suspended high-level diplomacy between South Korea and the U.S.

Deputy Secretary Campbell also expressed support for the acting president Han Duck-soo's regime.

He mentioned that Han is well-known in the U.S. as a former ambassador and fully supports his role.

The State Department also stated that it is ready to cooperate.

[Vedant Patel/Deputy Spokesperson, U.S. State Department: "We'll continue to be ready to work with Acting President Han and the ROK government, and we'll look forward to sharing engagements in the future."]

The Biden administration has also finalized a contract to provide subsidies to SK Hynix ahead of the inauguration of Trump’s second term.

The direct subsidy amounts to 660 billion won, and government loans can be provided up to 720 billion won.

Although President-elect Trump is negative about semiconductor subsidy policies, the contract has been signed, creating a sort of safety net.

However, there are concerns that the Trump administration may impose stricter conditions for subsidy payments.

This is Kim Ji-sook reporting for KBS News from Washington.