U.S. President Barack Obama will visit the inter-Korean border during his stay in South Korea for the 2012 Seoul Nuclear Security Summit next week.

White House Deputy National Security Adviser for Strategic Communications, Ben Rhodes, said earlier this week that President Obama will begin his schedule in South Korea by visiting the DMZ on Sunday. Rhodes said that during the president's visit to the border, he will meet with U.S. forces serving on the Korean Peninsula and underscore the importance of the South Korea-U.S. alliance.

U.S. National Security Council Director for Asian Affairs Daniel Russel said Sunday is virtually two years to the day since North Korea torpedoed and sank the South Korean naval vessel “Cheonan.” Russel stressed that the sinking of the Cheonan and the cooperation between the U.S. and South Korea that followed is a special example of the solidarity and cooperation between the two allies.

The White House said following the visit to the DMZ, Obama will hold a summit with South Korean President Lee Myung-bak and a joint news conference on Sunday.