<P> Ten United States presidents have made presidential visits to East Asia . The first presidential trip to a country in East Asia was made by Dwight D. Eisenhower (as president - elect) in 1952 . Since then, all presidents, except John F. Kennedy, have travelled to one or more nations in the region while in office . To date, twenty - one visits have been made to Japan, nineteen to South Korea, twelve to China, and one to both Mongolia and Taiwan . No incumbent president has yet visited North Korea (which does not have diplomatic relations with the U.S.). </P> <Table> <Tr> <Th> President </Th> <Th> Dates </Th> <Th> Country </Th> <Th> Locations </Th> <Th> Highlights </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Dwight D. Eisenhower </Td> <Td> 01! December 2--5, 1952 </Td> <Td> South Korea </Td> <Td> Seoul </Td> <Td> Visit to Korean combat zone . (Visit made as President - elect .) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 02! June 18--19, 1960 </Td> <Td> Taiwan </Td> <Td> Taipei </Td> <Td> State visit . Met with President Chiang Kai - shek </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 03! June 19--20, 1960 </Td> <Td> South Korea </Td> <Td> Seoul </Td> <Td> Met with Prime Minister Heo Jeong . Addressed the National Assembly . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Lyndon B. Johnson </Td> <Td> 04! October 31--November 2, 1966 </Td> <Td> Seoul, Suwon </Td> <Td> State visit . Met with President Park Chung - hee and Prime Minister Chung Il - kwon . Addressed National Assembly . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Richard Nixon </Td> <Td> 05! February 21--28, 1972 </Td> <Td> China </Td> <Td> Shanghai, Peking, Hangchow </Td> <Td> State Visit . Met with Party Chairman Mao Zedong and Premier Zhou Enlai . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Gerald Ford </Td> <Td> 06! November 19--22, 1974 </Td> <Td> Japan </Td> <Td> Tokyo, Kyoto </Td> <Td> State visit . Met with Prime Minister Kakuei Tanaka . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 07! November 22--23, 1974 </Td> <Td> South Korea </Td> <Td> Seoul </Td> <Td> Met with President Park Chung - hee . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 08! December 1--5, 1975 </Td> <Td> China </Td> <Td> Peking </Td> <Td> Official visit . Met with Party Chairman Mao Zedong and Vice Premier Deng Xiaoping </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Jimmy Carter </Td> <Td> 09! June 25--29, 1979 </Td> <Td> Japan </Td> <Td> Tokyo, Shimoda </Td> <Td> State visit; met with Emperor Hirohito and Prime Minister Masayoshi Ōhira . Attended the 5th G7 summit . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 10! June 29--July 1, 1979 </Td> <Td> South Korea </Td> <Td> Seoul </Td> <Td> State visit . Met with President Park Chung - hee and Prime Minister Choi Kyu - hah . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 11! July 9--10, 1980 </Td> <Td> Japan </Td> <Td> Tokyo </Td> <Td> Official visit; attended memorial services for former Prime Minister Masayoshi Ōhira; met with Emperor Hirohito, President Ziaur Rahman of Bangladesh, Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser of Australia, Prime Minister Prem Tinsulanonda of Thailand, and Premier Hua Guofeng of China . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Ronald Reagan </Td> <Td> 12! November 9--12, 1983 </Td> <Td> State visit; met with Emperor Hirohito and Prime Minister Yasuhiro Nakasone and addressed the National Diet . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 13! November 12--14, 1983 </Td> <Td> South Korea </Td> <Td> Seoul, Demilitarized Zone </Td> <Td> State visit . Met with President Chun Doo - hwan . Addressed the National Assembly and visited U.S. troops . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 14! April 26--May 1, 1984 </Td> <Td> China </Td> <Td> Beijing, Xian, Shanghai </Td> <Td> State visit . Met with President Li Xiannian and Premier Zhao Ziyang . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 15! May 2--7, 1986 </Td> <Td> Japan </Td> <Td> Tokyo </Td> <Td> Attended the 12th G7 summit . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> George H.W. Bush </Td> <Td> 16! February 23--25, 1989 </Td> <Td> Attended the funeral of Emperor Hirohito . Met with Emperor Akihito, the kings of Belgium, Jordan and Spain, the presidents of Brazil, Egypt, France, the Federal Republic of Germany, Israel, Italy, Nigeria, the Philippines, Portugal and Zaire, and the prime ministers of Japan, Pakistan, Singapore, Thailand and Turkey . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 17! February 25--27, 1989 </Td> <Td> China </Td> <Td> Beijing </Td> <Td> Met with President Yang Shangkun and Premier Li Peng . Also met with Prince Norodom Sihanouk of Cambodia . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 18! February 27, 1989 </Td> <Td> South Korea </Td> <Td> Seoul </Td> <Td> Official visit . Addressed the National Assembly . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 19! January 5--7, 1992 </Td> <Td> Met with President Roh Tae - woo and senior Korean officials . Also signed a science and technology agreement, addressed the Korean National Assembly, and visited U.S. military personnel . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 20! January 7--10, 1992 </Td> <Td> Japan </Td> <Td> Kyoto, Kashihara, Tokyo </Td> <Td> Met with Emperor Akihito, Prime Minister Kiichi Miyazawa and senior Japanese officials . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Bill Clinton </Td> <Td> 21! July 6--10, 1993 </Td> <Td> Tokyo </Td> <Td> Attended the 19th G7 summit . Met with Russian President Boris Yeltsin . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 22! July 10--11, 1993 </Td> <Td> South Korea </Td> <Td> Seoul </Td> <Td> Met with President Kim Young - sam . Addressed the South Korean National Assembly . Visited U.S. military personnel . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 23! April 15--16, 1996 </Td> <Td> Cheju Island </Td> <Td> Met with President Kim Young - sam . Proposed four - nation peace talks . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 24! April 16--18, 1996 </Td> <Td> Japan </Td> <Td> Tokyo </Td> <Td> State visit . Issued joint statement on U.S. - Japanese security relations . Addressed the Diet and U.S. Navy personnel . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 25! June 24--July 3, 1998 </Td> <Td> China </Td> <Td> Xi'an, Beijing, Shanghai, Guilin, Hong Kong </Td> <Td> State visit . Met with President Jiang Zemin . Visited the Forbidden City and the Great Wall of China . Delivered a speech at Peking University . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 26! November 19--20, 1998 </Td> <Td> Japan </Td> <Td> Tokyo </Td> <Td> Met with Emperor Akihito and Prime Minister Keizō Obuchi . Addressed American Chamber of Commerce . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 27! November 20--22, 1998 </Td> <Td> South Korea </Td> <Td> Seoul, Osan </Td> <Td> Met with President Kim Dae - jung . Addressed U.S. military personnel . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 28! June 8, 2000 </Td> <Td> Japan </Td> <Td> Tokyo </Td> <Td> Attended the funeral of former Prime Minister Keizō Obuchi . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 29! July 21--23, 2000 </Td> <Td> Nago </Td> <Td> Attended the 26th G8 summit . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> George W. Bush </Td> <Td> 30! October 18--21, 2001 </Td> <Td> China </Td> <Td> Shanghai </Td> <Td> Attended the APEC Summit . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 31! February 16--19, 2002 </Td> <Td> Japan </Td> <Td> Tokyo </Td> <Td> Met with Emperor Akihito and Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi . Addressed the Diet . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 32! February 19--21, 2002 </Td> <Td> South Korea </Td> <Td> Seoul, Dorasan, Osan </Td> <Td> Met with President Kim Dae - jung . Visited the Korean Demilitarized Zone . Addressed U.S. military personnel . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 33! February 21--22, 2002 </Td> <Td> China </Td> <Td> Beijing </Td> <Td> Met with President Jiang Zemin and Premier Zhu Rongji . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 34! October 17--18, 2003 </Td> <Td> Japan </Td> <Td> Tokyo </Td> <Td> Met with Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 35! November 15--16, 2005 </Td> <Td> Kyoto </Td> <Td> Met with Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 36! November 16--20, 2005 </Td> <Td> South Korea </Td> <Td> Pusan, Gyeongju, Osan </Td> <Td> Attended the APEC Summit . Met with Russian President Vladimir Putin . Addressed U.S. military personnel . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 37! November 20--21, 2005 </Td> <Td> China </Td> <Td> Beijing </Td> <Td> Met with President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 38! November 21, 2005 </Td> <Td> Mongolia </Td> <Td> Ulaanbaatar </Td> <Td> Met with President Nambaryn Enkhbayar and Prime Minister Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 39! July 6--9, 2008 </Td> <Td> Japan </Td> <Td> Tōyako </Td> <Td> Attended the 34th G8 summit . Met with Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Chinese President Hu Jintao and South Korean President Lee Myung - bak . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 40! August 5--6, 2008 </Td> <Td> South Korea </Td> <Td> Seoul </Td> <Td> Met with President Lee Myung - bak . Addressed U.S. military personnel . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 41! August 7--11, 2008 </Td> <Td> China </Td> <Td> Beijing </Td> <Td> Attended the opening ceremonies of the Summer Olympics . Met with President Hu Jintao and Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Barack Obama </Td> <Td> 42! November 13--14, 2009 </Td> <Td> Japan </Td> <Td> Tokyo </Td> <Td> Met with Emperor Akihito and Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 43! November 15--18, 2009 </Td> <Td> China </Td> <Td> Shanghai, Beijing </Td> <Td> Met with Shanghai Party Secretary Yu Zhengsheng and Mayor Han Zheng; also took part in a town hall meeting with Shanghai students . Met with President Hu Jintao, NPC Chairman Wu Bangguo and Premier Wen Jiabao . Visited the Forbidden City and the Great Wall of China . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 44! November 18--19, 2009 </Td> <Td> South Korea </Td> <Td> Seoul, Osan </Td> <Td> Met with President Lee Myung - bak . Visited with U.S. troops at Osan Air Base . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 45! November 10--12, 2010 </Td> <Td> Seoul </Td> <Td> Attended the G - 20 Summit . Met with President Lee Myung - bak . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 46! November 12--14, 2010 </Td> <Td> Japan </Td> <Td> Yokohama, Kamakura </Td> <Td> Attended the APEC Summit . Met with Prime Minister Naoto Kan . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 47! March 25--27, 2012 </Td> <Td> South Korea </Td> <Td> Seoul </Td> <Td> Attended the Nuclear Security Summit . Met with President Lee Myung - bak . Visited the Korean Demilitarized Zone . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 48! April 23--25, 2014 </Td> <Td> Japan </Td> <Td> Tokyo </Td> <Td> Met with Emperor Akihito and Prime Minister Shinzō Abe . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 49! April 25--26, 2014 </Td> <Td> South Korea </Td> <Td> Seoul </Td> <Td> Met with President Park Geun - hye . Visited with U.S. troops at Yongsan Garrison . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 50! November 10--12, 2014 </Td> <Td> China </Td> <Td> Beijing </Td> <Td> Attended the APEC Summit . Met with President Xi Jinping, Premier Li Keqiang and NPC Chairman Zhang Dejiang . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 51! May 25--27, 2016 </Td> <Td> Japan </Td> <Td> Shima, Hiroshima </Td> <Td> Attended the 42nd G7 summit . Visited the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 52! September 3--6, 2016 </Td> <Td> China </Td> <Td> Hangzhou </Td> <Td> Attended the G - 20 Summit . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Donald Trump </Td> <Td> 53! November 5--7, 2017 </Td> <Td> Japan </Td> <Td> Tokyo </Td> <Td> Met with Emperor Akihito and Prime Minister Shinzō Abe . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 54! November 7--8, 2017 </Td> <Td> South Korea </Td> <Td> Seoul </Td> <Td> Met with President Moon Jae - in . Addressed the South Korean National Assembly . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 55! November 8--10, 2017 </Td> <Td> China </Td> <Td> Beijing </Td> <Td> Met with President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang . </Td> </Tr> </Table> <Tr> <Th> President </Th> <Th> Dates </Th> <Th> Country </Th> <Th> Locations </Th> <Th> Highlights </Th> </Tr>

Who was the first us president to visit south korea