US official-Seoul visit
State Department policy advisor to visit S. Korea this week
By Byun Duk-kun
WASHINGTON, April 13 (Yonhap) -- A senior advisor to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will travel to South Korea this week for talks on ways to enhance global cooperation between the allied countries, the state department said Thursday.
Derek Chollet, counselor and senior policy advisor to the state secretary, will lead a delegation to Singapore and Seoul from Thursday to Monday, according to the department.
"Joined by Ambassador and head of the Sanctions Coordination Office Jim O'Brien, Counselor Chollet will engage with senior government leaders and key stakeholders on bilateral and regional issues," it said in a press release.
"In the ROK, Counselor Chollet and Ambassador O'Brien will meet with senior officials to discuss a wide-range of topics to advance the U.S.-ROK global partnership and cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region. He also looks forward to discussing the ROK's expanding global role with opinion leaders," it added.
ROK stands for the Republic of Korea, South Korea's official name.
Chollet's trip to South Korea comes ahead of a state visit by South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol to the U.S., which is set to begin on April 24.
Yoon will hold a bilateral summit with President Joe Biden on April 26, and address a joint session of the U.S. Congress the following day, becoming the first South Korean head of state to do so since 2013.
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