To mull joint efforts to meet growing military threads from N. Korea
SEOUL, Jan. 31 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's Acting President and Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn will meet U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis this week to discuss joint efforts to counter North Korea's growing military threats and enhance the bilateral alliance, Hwang's office said Tuesday.
The meeting will be held at Hwang's office in Seoul at 5 p.m. Thursday. Mattis will begin his two-day visit to South Korea that runs through Friday as part of his first overseas trip since taking office on Jan. 20.
During a telephone conversation between Hwang and U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday, the two leaders discussed Mattis' upcoming trip to South Korea and noted the trip "reflects the close friendship between our two countries and demonstrates the importance of the U.S.-ROK (Republic of Korea) alliance," the White House said in a statement.
Observers said that Hwang and Mattis could touch on a series of pending issues, including the planned deployment of a U.S. missile defense system to the Korean Peninsula, which has faced strong opposition from China, Russia and some local politicians.
On Friday, Mattis will fly to Japan for talks with his counterpart Tomomi Inada.
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