Four U.S. female lawmakers to visit S. Korea

Four iconic female members of Congress will travel to South Korea early next month during a summer recess, congressional sources said Wednesday.

They are Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) and Reps. Grace Meng (D-NY), and Terri Sewell (D-AL).

"All of them are symbolic figures in the 113th Congress in terms of representing minority groups," a source said. "Also, they have a good understanding on Korea."

Gillibrand is said to have potential to become a political star like Hillary Clinton, one of her close associates.

Hirono, a Buddhist born in Japan, is the first Asian-American woman elected to the U.S. Senate.

Meng, a Chinese-American, is the first Asian-American from New York to be elected to Congress.

Sewell is the first black woman elected to Congress from Alabama.

Another source said some of them may meet with South Korean President Park Geun-hye, the country's first female president, during their visit.

Meanwhile, Sen. John McCain is scheduled to arrive in Seoul on Sunday for a two-day stay, according to officials in the South Korean capital. (Yonhap News)