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| US SecDef James Mattis |
SEOUL, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Secretary of Defense James Mattis will officially visit South Korea next week on his first overseas trip since the Trump administration took office last week.
Seoul's defense ministry said Thursday that Defense Minister Han Min-koo will hold a meeting on Feb. 2 with the visiting U.S. defense chief who is scheduled to make a two-day trip through Feb. 3.
Mattis' visit reflects the importance of the Korean Peninsula and the Asia-Pacific region, the firm South Korea-U.S. alliance and the iron U.S. commitment to the bilateral defense treaty, the Seoul ministry said.
It would mark the first time for the Pentagon head to pick South Korea as the first overseas destination.
The U.S. defense chief may raise the issue of shortage in Seoul's financial contribution to U.S. forces stationed in South Korea.
Read the full story at Xinhua