By Deutsche Welle (World News) | Created at 2025-01-04 04:11:05 | Updated at 2025-01-06 07:22:06
2 days ago
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will travel to South Korea, Japan and France between January 4-9, the State Department said Friday, in what is expected to be his last overseas trip in office.
The US top diplomat will visit South Korea at a time of political turmoil in the country. In the latest development there, a standoff between investigators and suspended President Yoon Suk Yeol's team prevented investigators from arresting Yoon.
Blinken to meet with his South Korean counterpart
Blinken will meet with his counterpart Cho Tae-yul on Monday, Seoul's foreign ministry said in a statement, to discuss the "South Korea-US alliance, South Korea-US-Japan cooperation, North Korea issues, and regional and global challenges."
The State Department statement also makes no direct mention of the current political turmoil in Seoul, saying Blinken will speak about "ways our two nations can build on our critical cooperation on challenges around the world based on our shared values."
South Korea has been mired in a political crisis ever since Yoon briefly declared martial law on December 3 and sent soldiers to parliament. He has been under investigation on allegations of abuse of power and inciting an insurrection.
Investigators probing Yoon's declaration of martial law attempted to enforce a warrant for his arrest on Friday but were thwarted by presidential security guards.
That warrant expires on January 6, the same day Blinken plans to meet Cho.
Security thwarts attempted arrest of South Korea's Yoon
Blinken in Japan, France
In Japan, Blinken will meet senior Japanese government officials to review the "tremendous progress" between the two nations.
The US and Japan have forged closer defense ties over the years, as both countries share similar concerns including what they describe as countering Chinese aggression in the Indo-Pacific.
Blinken will wrap up his trip in Paris in meetings with French officials to discuss developments in the Middle East and European security, particularly in Ukraine.
mk/rm (AP, AFP, Reuters)
