U.S. second lady Jill Biden arrived in South Korea Saturday on a trip to highlight women's education and economic empowerment issues.

The wife of U.S. Vice President Joe Biden was greeted by U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Mark Lippert and other U.S. and South Korean military officials on the tarmac at Osan Airbase, about 50 kilometers southwest of Seoul.

She was to head to Jinkwansa, a Buddhist temple in Seoul, where she will meet with female monks and discuss the role they play in the community, according to the U.S. Embassy.

Later, she is scheduled to meet with Gender Equality Minister Kim Hee-jung and attend a reception hosted by Kim, where Biden will deliver remarks highlighting the power of education, the value of leadership roles and business opportunities for women in the workplace, and the importance of ensuring that women's voices are heard in the political process, the embassy said.

She said ahead of her trip that South Korea has made big strides in promoting women's rights over the past few decades, but there still remain many difficulties and challenges for women, especially younger workers.

It is Biden's first visit to South Korea. She is accompanied by Catherine Russell, ambassador-at-large for global women's issues.

Her Asian swing will also take her to Japan, Vietnam and Laos for meetings with officials on issues related to economic empowerment and educational opportunities for women and girls. (Yonhap)