Top US diplomat, defense chief to visit Seoul next week

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will visit Seoul next week for a "two-plus-two" meeting with their South Korean counterparts, the foreign and defense ministries said Wednesday, as the allies seek coordination on North Korea's denuclearization and other issues.

Blinken and Austin are set to arrive on Wednesday after a trip to Japan as part of their first Asia swing since the Jan. 20 inauguration of President Joe Biden. A day later, they will attend the joint meeting with Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong and Defense Minister Suh Wook.

Such a two-plus-two meeting was last held in Washington in October 2016. The format was instituted in 2010 to highlight the alliance against North Korean military threats.

The meeting will come amid a series of pending issues, including stalled nuclear diplomacy with Pyongyang and the slower-than-expected preparations for the transfer of operational control (OPCON) of forces to South Korea in the event of war.

The agenda at the upcoming meeting may include creating fresh momentum to reengage with the North and advance the stalled denuclearization talks with it, making progress in the process of the OPCON handover and rejuvenating the alliance to tackle global issues, such as climate change and cyber threats.

On the occasion of the visit by the top US officials, Seoul and Washington could also sign an official deal on the sharing of the cost of stationing 28,500 US troops, in a show of their will to firm up the alliance.

South Korea and the US have hammered out a new Special Measures Agreement (SMA), under which Seoul will raise its payment for stationing US Forces Korea by 13.9 percent this year from 2019. Under the multi-year deal until 2025, Seoul's payment will be linked to the increased rate of its defense spending.

Washington is also expected to use the top officials' visit here as an opportunity to cement trilateral cooperation with Seoul and Tokyo, and craft a united front against North Korea's nuclear threats and China's growing assertiveness.

The US State Department later said the upcoming trip will highlight cooperation between the United States and its Asian allies.

"Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken will travel to Tokyo, Japan, and Seoul, Republic of Korea (ROK), March 15–18 to reaffirm the United States' commitment to strengthening our alliances and to highlight cooperation that promotes peace, security, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region and around the world," it said in a press release, using South Korea's official name.

It added the secretary of state will meet with his South Korean counterpart and other senior officials to discuss issues of bilateral and global importance.

"Secretary Blinken will also meet virtually with Korean youth leaders and host a virtual roundtable with emerging Korean journalists to discuss the importance of the US-ROK Alliance in promoting peace, security, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region and across the globe," it said.

A US Defense Department official said the scheduled visit by the US secretaries highlights the importance the new US administration places on the region despite the ongoing pandemic.

"As I think ... that was factored in the need to do this. but such importance is placed on the Indo-Pacific region, as it should be, that both Secretary Austin and Secretary Blinken felt this was a trip worth making at this particular time," Pentagon spokesman John Kirby told a press briefing.

He said more details of the upcoming trip will be made available later in the week, but said, when asked, that the US defense chief has no plans to visit the Demilitarized Zone.

On Wednesday, Chung and Suh will also meet their counterparts separately.

"Minister Chung and Secretary Blinken will hold talks on Wednesday to exchange their views on South Korea-US relations, the Korean Peninsula issues, and regional and global cooperation," the foreign ministry said in a press release.

The ministry also voiced hope that the visit to Seoul by Blinken and Austin will serve as an opportunity to strengthen communication and cooperation between the two countries and further strengthen their alliance.

Seoul's defense ministry said that during their two-way talks, Suh and Austin will exchange their assessments of the security situation on the Korean Peninsula and discuss an array of alliance issues.

A Cheong Wa Dae official said that arrangements are also being made for the top US officials to pay a courtesy call on President Moon Jae-in during their stay in Seoul.

Austin plans to stay until Friday, while Blinken will leave on Thursday. (Yonhap)