U.S. President Barack Obama will give a speech at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies Monday, U.S. Senior Administration Officials said at a press briefing Tuesday.

In his lecture, the President is expected to talk about Korea’s alliance with the U.S. and its rising role on the global stage, while outlining his goals for the international nuclear summit.

Obama has expressed his positive view of the Korean education system on numerous occasions prior to the announcement. It is speculated that HUFS was selected as the venue for his talk due to its reputation as a foreign language institute promoting internationalization in Korea.

“We see it as an opportunity to understand what the president of the United States has to say on the issues at hand,” a student said in an online community site of the university.

Some students, on the other hand, voiced concern that limited views may be represented at the lecture, saying “It shouldn’t just be a meeting for ‘yes men.’”

Obama will be visiting the campus ahead of the Seoul nuclear summit, which begins Monday. He is also scheduled to visit the Demilitarized Zone separating the two Koreas on Sunday, marking his first visit to the area.



Gukby Sim
Intern Reporter
(simgukby@heraldcorp.com)