U.S. President Joe Biden will meet with Republic of Korea (ROK) President Moon Jae-in in Washington next month, Moon's office and the White House said, in talks that will include how to push forward efforts to stem the nuclear program of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK). 

The Biden administration says it is in the final stages of a review of its policy towards the DPRK and is keen to encourage trilateral cooperation with Seoul and Tokyo on that issue and other regional security concerns, including China. 

Biden is scheduled to meet with Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga in Washington on Friday. Suga will be the first foreign leader to meet Biden in person since the U.S. president took office in January.  

Moon's spokesman Kang Min-seok said in a statement issued early on Friday that Moon and Biden will discuss ways to develop strong ties between their countries and close cooperation to "achieve complete denuclearization and lasting peace" on the Korean Peninsula. 

Kang said the visit would take place in late May. 

White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said the summit would take place in the second half of May and the exact date was still being finalized. 

"We are still finalizing the date for that, but this visit, following the recent two-plus-two visit to Seoul by secretaries Blinken and Austin, and the national security advisers' trilateral meeting in Annapolis, will highlight the iron-clad U.S.-South Korea alliance and the longstanding ties and friendships between the people of our two countries," she said. 

(With input from Reuters)

(Cover: The ROK and American flags fly next to each other at Yongin, ROK. /Reuters)