US President Donald Trump will arrive in Seoul on Tuesday, his second stop of his five-nation Asian tour, where the issues of North Korea and trade will be front and center throughout his two-day stay.

Trump’ state visit to South Korea comes at a time of heightened tension on the Korean Peninsula.

North Korea, which has desisted from provocative military actions in the recent weeks for reasons unknown, on Thursday ratcheted up its anti-US rhetoric, justifying its nuclear program and accusing the US of planning war. The rhetoric itself is far from new, but experts say that the timing hints that Pyongyang is responding to Trump’s visit, and the congregation of US aircraft carriers in the vicinity of the Korean Peninsula in time for his visit. 

In addition, South Korean security officials say North Korea is likely to carry out a provocation in the near future, and that Seoul’s military and intelligence bodies are on high alert.

“The president’s trip will focus on three goals,” US national security adviser H.R. McMaster said during a White House briefing. “First, strengthening international resolve to denuclearize North Korea.”

With North Korea defying international pressures, even from its ally China, Trump is likely to reiterate US’ stance on Pyongyang’s nuclear ambitions, and send a message of warning.

Moon has often stated that Seoul and Washington share the same position -- that North Korea cannot be recognized as a nuclear state and denuclearization process must resume -- and government officials say that unilateral sanctions could be announced before Trump’s arrival.

According to a high level government official, the US has been requesting South Korea to introduce its own sanctions, and Seoul has been weighing a number of options within the boundaries of UN Security Council sanctions.

The two leaders have some fundamental issues to sort out with regard to the North, Chun Young-woo, who served as former President Lee Myung-bak’s senior secretary for foreign affairs and national security.

“How to coordinate our policies and roles on North Korea is the overriding question, between the allies. What if efforts to denuclearize (the North) fail eventually? How should we protect South Korea from a nuclear North Korea?” Chun said.

“Our chief commanders need to put their heads together and produce some agreements in principle on these questions,” he added.

The allies have already agreed to expand the rotational deployment of US strategic assets near the peninsula.

With Pyongyang advancing its nuclear and missile programs, Moon expressed hopes of securing overwhelming military capabilities, which in turn would give Seoul more independence in dealing with the North.

One of the key issues in boosting military capabilities is easing of the missile guidelines that limit South Korea’s ballistic missile capabilities. Moon and Trump have agreed in principle to lift the range limit, but working-level talks on the issue have yet to hammer out the details.

On matters regarding security, the two countries by and large are on the same page, but the summit will also see some thorny issues put on the table.

At the top of the US agenda is the Korea-US Free Trade Agreement, which Trump has called a “horrible deal.”

The US’ focus on the issue has prompted some here to raise concerns of disharmony between the two sides similar to that demonstrated in the bilateral summit in Washington in June.

At the time Seoul officials said that the FTA was discussed, but drew the line at renegotiation of the deal despite Trump’s tweet saying that he discussed a “new trade deal” with the South Korean president.

Seoul and Washington, however, have since begun renegotiations on the deal, and South Korea’s top trade negotiator Kim Hyun-chong has stated that the deal being scrapped as a result cannot be ruled out.

The possibility of Trump raising the issue of South Korea’s financial contribution to US Forces Korea’s operations has also emerged.

As with the Korea-US FTA, Trump has argued that the current arrangement on US military costs here is disadvantageous to the US. Seoul, however, maintains that South Korea shoulders its fair share of the costs, and that the matter will not be raised at the summit meeting.

Despite such assurances to the public, Cheong Wa Dae appears to be concerned about the issue, and has repeatedly stated that the US president’s visit to Camp Humphreys could allay his concerns.

The base, in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, is the largest overseas military installation operated by the US, and it will be Trump’s first stop on his visit.

“(The visit) will be an opportunity to show President Trump that South Korea is making significant contributions to the alliance,” deputy chief of South Korea’s National Security Council Nam Gwan-pyo said Friday. Over 90 percent of the $10 billion cost of establishing the base was shouldered by Seoul.

Trump’s address to the National Assembly scheduled for Wednesday morning is also piquing interest here.

Cheong Wa Dae has stated a number of times that the address will provide a window into Trump administration’s East Asian policies. However, some pundits say that unexpected statements cannot be ruled out given Trump’s unpredictable style. 

By Choi He-suk (cheesuk@heraldcorp.com)