The White House is preparing for the second state dinner of Joe Biden's presidency as his administration looks to strengthen ties with a key ally.
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol's visit comes 70 years after the armistice that ended active fighting in the Korean War and as the Biden administration works to counter China's influence in the Indo-Pacific.
In addition to the black-tie dinner, Yoon will meet with President Joe Biden and address a joint meeting of Congress.
The pomp and circumstance reflects a new stage in the relationship between the United States and the Republic of Korea. What was once described as a partnership "forged in blood" is now centered on "chips, batteries and clean technology," said Scott Snyder of the Council on Foreign Relations.
"It's really the opportunity to frame close economic and technological cooperation as part of the alliance and something that South Korea is now bringing to its relationship with the United States as the focus for the future" he told Spectrum News.
That includes Korean companies building factories in the U.S. to manufacture products like electric vehicles and semiconductors. In addition to creating domestic jobs, that helps America reduce its reliance on China for the computer chips used in many other products.
"South Korean firms are building semiconductor factories in Texas and electric vehicle factories in Georgia, among other investments," Snyder listed in an interview with Spectrum News.
"The discussion about supply chain resiliency is central to some of the South Korean investment decisions," he said. "But I think maybe even more important is that as the issue of safety becomes more important in the context of supply chains, it's driving the U.S. and South Korea closer together."
Snyder explained Korean companies are also looking to move away from the Chinese market after what he described as "less-than-satisfactory experiences."
That growing distance between South Korea and China is also reflected in politics. Snyder said that since being elected, Yoon has more closely aligned his country with the U.S. in public.
"It's true that South Korea is still reticence to publicly criticize China by name," he explained. "But the scope of cooperation and the driver for cooperation between the U.S. and South Korea as related to China is very clear."
The White House acknowledged China will be a likely a topic of discussion when the two leaders meet.
"I know of no discussion that we have with those very important allies where we also don't talk about the challenges posed by China in the region and globally," said National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communication John Kirby during Thursday's White House press briefing.
Kirby also predicted the two leaders would discuss the continued threat posed by North Korea's military buildup.