Foreign Minister Park Jin and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken were set to hold talks Thursday on North Korea, alliance, regional and global issues, amid concerns over expanding military cooperation between the North and Russia.
The talks come after revelations that the North provided Russia with a large amount of munitions and weapons for use in the war in Ukraine under an arms deal apparently reached at a rare September summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Blinken arrived in South Korea late Wednesday, after attending a Group of Seven foreign ministerial meeting in Tokyo. Park and Blinken previously met in person during the UN General Assembly in New York in September.
Following the bilateral talks, Park and Blinken will hold a joint press conference.
The deeper military cooperation between the North and Russia has given rise to the prospect that Pyongyang could be receiving Moscow's technical assistance for its long-range missile program. Seoul officials said the North appears to be readying for a third attempt to launch a military spy satellite after failed attempts in May and August.
At a press availability in Tokyo on Wednesday, Blinken said, "We're deeply concerned about what Russia is providing Pyongyang in return for the weapons and munitions," vowing to push for "full implementation" of UN Security Council resolutions.
Blinken is likely to use the trip to reaffirm the US' security commitment to defending its key Asian ally against North Korean threats and highlight its steadfast strategic focus on the Indo-Pacific, even amid the Israel-Hamas war and other global challenges.
"I'm going on to Korea and then going on to India, again, further evidence of the fact that we're very focused on the Indo-Pacific and will remain so," he said in Tokyo.
China-related issues could be discussed ahead of a highly anticipated summit between US President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of a summit of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in San Francisco, set for later this month.
The Israel-Hamas conflict is to be addressed, as Washington is cranking up diplomacy to prevent an escalation and to facilitate humanitarian aid into the besieged Gaza Strip.
While in Seoul, Blinken was expected to pay a courtesy call on Yoon and meet with National Security Adviser Cho Tae-yong, the State Department said earlier.
Blinken will depart for India later in the day, to be joined by US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin for joint talks with their Indian counterparts, capping his nine-day multination trip that included stops to the Middle East. (Yonhap)
