Biden leaves for Asia under Ukraine and North Korea nuclear shadows
May 20, 2022, 7:37 am

Biden leaves for Asia under Ukraine and North Korea nuclear shadows

Biden-US president/Shutterstock

US President Joe Biden visits South Korea on Friday evening (May 20), where he meets new President Yoon Suk-yeol, a relative newcomer to politics, for the first time in person. Biden will head to Japan from South Korea on Sunday (May 22).

During this tour, Biden wants to cement US leadership in Asia at a time when the White House’s attention has been pulled back to Russia and Europe — and amid fears of a North Korean nuclear test during his trip.

In his visit to South Korea, he will will tour with President Yoon Suk-yeol a Samsung Electronics plant on Friday ahead of a full day of events on Saturday (May 21).

While in Japan, he will join a regional summit of the Quad — a grouping of Australia, India, Japan and the United States.

US President Joe Biden visits South Korea on Friday evening (May 20), then he will head to Japan on Sunday (May 22)

Yoon told reporters outside his office on Friday: "I think (Biden's visit) will serve as an opportunity for the Korea-US alliance to become stronger and more inclusive because there are many changes happening in the international community,"

Biden and Yoon may quickly move from formalities to dealing with a weighty issue with North Korea at the top of the agenda. Leader Kim Jong Un abandoned a freeze on intercontinental ballistic missile testing and appears poised to resume testing of nuclear bombs, perhaps while Biden is in the region.

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US cooperation with South Korea and Japan "will only strengthen in the face of further provocations" by North Korea, Biden national security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters en route to South Korea when asked about the possibility of a weapons test.

Sullivan said: "We are prepared for those eventualities . The United States has told allies and China that such a provocation during the US visit would "cause adjustments to the way that our military is postured in the region."

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Sullivan said there was “real risk of some kind of provocation while we’re in the region, whether in South Korea or Japan.”

He said: “We know what we will do to respond to them. We have communicated with not just our allies, but also with China."

Before his departure on Thursday (May 19), Biden met with the leaders of Finland and Sweden to celebrate their applications for joining NATO — a seismic development sparked by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

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BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”