Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Michael De Sombre will visit South Korea from March 11 to 15 to meet with officials from the South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs and discuss various issues related to the U.S.-South Korea alliance.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday, Assistant Secretary De Sombre will meet with key figures, including Jeong Yeon-du, South Korea’s chief nuclear negotiator for North Korea, as well as Deputy Minister Jeong Ui-hye and Economic Diplomacy Coordinator Park Jong-han.
During his meeting with Jeong, they are expected to assess the current situation following North Korea’s recent statement at the 9th Workers’ Party Congress, where it indicated openness to conditional dialogue with the U.S., provided it is recognized as a nuclear power. They will likely discuss strategies to bring North Korea back to the negotiating table.
With President Donald Trump scheduled to visit Beijing from March 31 to April 2, speculation about a potential North Korea-U.S. summit has arisen. This has led to expectations of discussions on South Korea and the U.S.’s roles as peacemakers and facilitators in the region.
As the conflict in Iran shows signs of prolongation, the officials are expected to evaluate the situation and discuss information sharing between South Korea and the U.S. While the U.S. has not yet requested military or non-military support from South Korea regarding this issue, analysts suggest that De Sombre may seek collaboration during his visit.
The importance of U.S.-South Korea cooperation in implementing the joint fact sheet, which outlines agreements made between the leaders of both countries, is also likely to be a topic of discussion.
The U.S. has been advocating for the passage of a special law on investment in the U.S., which is expected to be approved during De Sombre’s visit on March 12. This timing may facilitate productive discussions on security matters outlined in the fact sheet.
Prior to DeSombre’s visit, David Weales, the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, will be in South Korea from March 9 to 11. Weales is scheduled to have a breakfast meeting with Deputy Minister Jeong and engage in working-level discussions with directors from the North American Affairs Bureau, the Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs, and the Korea Policy Bureau.
Analysts note that the recent series of visits by U.S. State Department officials is significant. Two weeks before DeSombre’s visit, Michael Needham, a close advisor to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, visited South Korea and met with Foreign Minister Cho Hyun. Despite various global uncertainties, including the situation in the Middle East, these visits demonstrate the ongoing strength of U.S.-South Korea cooperation.