Us Secretary of Defense to Visit Korea Next Week

U.S. Secretary of Defense James Mattis will visit South Korea next week on his first trip since taking office to underscore the U.S. commitment to the alliance between two countries, the Pentagon said Wednesday.

The trip, which is set to begin on Feb. 1 and also includes a stop in Japan, comes as tensions are running high after North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said the communist nation is close to test-firing an intercontinental ballistic missile apparently capable of reaching the U.S.

Mattis, expected to arrive in Seoul on Feb. 2, will meet with South Korean Defense Minister Han Min-koo and other senior officials, the Pentagon said. Their discussions are expected to focus on ways to cope with North Korean threats and further strengthen the alliance.

On Feb. 3, Mattis will visit Japan for talks with his counterpart, Tomomi Inada.

"The trip will underscore the commitment of the United States to our enduring alliances with Japan and the Republic of Korea, and further strengthen U.S.-Japan-Republic of Korea security cooperation," the Pentagon said.

It is Mattis' first overseas trip since he took office. That underscores the seriousness and urgency the retired Marine Corps general takes the threats from North Korea as well as the importance of the alliances with South Korea and Japan in dealing with the provocative regime.

During his confirmation hearing earlier...