U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific affairs David Stilwell is here in the nation.
During his three-day stay,... he will hold talks with Seoul's top diplomat... as well as officials from the presidential office and defense ministry.
Upon his arrival on Tuesday evening,... Stilwell said that he hopes to have productive talks... and reaffirm their strong bilateral alliance which he says is the cornerstone of security in the region.
Of key interest is what message the visiting official will deliver regarding South Korea's decision to pull out of GSOMIA, an intel sharing pact with Japan, which expires later this month.
Stilwell is expected to emphasize its importance... and urge Seoul to withdraw its decision... as GSOMIA is a platform for the allies' trilateral security cooperation.