ROUGH CUT (NO REPORTER NARRATION)
STORY: U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry met South Korean President Park Geun-hye in Seoul on Thursday (February 13) in the first leg of a trip that includes stops in Beijing, Jakarta and Abu Dhabi.
Kerry landed at Seoul Air Base on Thursday afternoon for a two-day state visit.
Both are expected to discuss ways to expand cooperation on regional and global issues and reaffirm the strength of their alliance.
Kerry is also scheduled to meet South Korean Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se later in the day.
The visit was made ahead of the annual military drills by the South and the United States, which North Korea calls a rehearsal for war. The United States has about 28,500 troops stationed in South Korea.
South Korea has rejected a demand by its northern neighbour to postpone this month's military drills to avoid it overlapping with planned reunions of families separated during the Korean War.
Kerry will leave Seoul f