Top U.S. military officer to visit S. Korea next week

The top U.S. military officer will visit South Korea next week for talks with his counterpart on boosting the bilateral alliance, Seoul officials said Friday, amid keen attention on whether the two will discuss the possible deployment of an advanced U.S. missile-defense system here.  
  

Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, is scheduled to arrive Thursday for a three-day stay, during which he plans to hold talks with South Korea's JCS chairman, Adm. Choi Yun-hee, and meet with Defense Minister Han Min-koo, according to Seoul's JCS.
  

Dempsey's trip here is considered a return visit before he leaves office at the end of September, the JCS said, noting Choi traveled to the U.S. in July last year, it added.
  

"The JCS chairmen of South Korea and the U.S. will boost their relationship, reaffirm their strong will for peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and discuss ways on how to develop the alliance in the future," the JCS said in a statement.
  

"The chairmen are expected to deal with a wide range of pending issues, including how to deal with North Korea's evolving nuclear and missile threats and their preparedness for the transfer of the wartime operational control of South Korean troops," a JCS officer said.
  

In November, the allies agreed to delay the transition of wartime operational control of South Korean troops from Washington to Seoul until South Korea is capable enough to counter the threats, with the two sides eyeing the mid-2020s as the time frame for the transfer.
  

Dempsey's visit comes amid speculation that the top military officers of the allies could discuss the possible deployment of a Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense battery on South Korean soil.
  

Officials here, however, have dismissed such a possibility as Seoul has not received any requests from the U.S. for official consultation on the matter. 
  

The U.S. has expressed its willingness to deploy one here to better defend South Korea from the North's security threats and to guarantee the safety of the around 28,000 U.S. troops stationed here and their families. However, other countries in the region are against the move. (Yonhap)