(LEAD) S. Korea, U.S. to hold '2+2' talks among foreign, defense chiefs amid N.K. deployment to Russia

▲ Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul (R) poses with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken during their talks at Seoul's foreign ministry, in this March 18, 2024, file photo. (Pool photo) (Yonhap)

▲ Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun attends a Cabinet meeting at the presidential office in Yongsan, Seoul, on Oct. 15, 2024. (Yonhap)

▲ In this photo released by EPA, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin delivers remarks during a meeting with Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh at the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, on Aug. 23, 2024.

(LEAD) S Korea-US-talks

(LEAD) S. Korea, U.S. to hold '2+2' talks among foreign, defense chiefs amid N.K. deployment to Russia

(ATTN: UPDATES with U.S. State Department's statement, other details in paras 6-13; ADDS photos)

By Kim Seung-yeon

SEOUL, Oct. 28 (Yonhap) -- South Korea and the United States will hold their "two plus two" talks among the top foreign and defense officials this week, Seoul's foreign ministry said Monday, amid the heightening tensions with North Korea's deployment of its troops to Russia.

The talks will take place in Washington on Thursday (local time) among Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul, Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, the ministry said in a statement.

The meeting comes at a time when North Korea is believed to have sent its soldiers to Russia for possible deployment to the war in Ukraine. South Korea and the United States have confirmed the North's dispatch of thousands of troops to eastern Russia.

The top officials will have "broad discussions on the Korean Peninsula, the bilateral alliance, and other regional and global issues," the ministry said.

The two countries will also adopt a joint statement based on the outcome of their talks, the ministry said.

Also announcing the meeting, the U.S. State Department said in a separate statement that Washington expects the talks will be about "strengthening our cooperation on the full range of global and regional issues, and deepening the U.S.-ROK alliance," calling South Korea by its official name, the Republic of Korea.

While in Washington, Cho and Blinken will hold one-on-one talks on the alliance, trilateral cooperation with Japan, and coordinated responses to North Korean threats, the foreign ministry said.

Cho also plans to meet with U.S. government officials and experts from academia in efforts to seek continued support and cooperation for the development of the South Korea-U.S. alliance.

Following the visit to Washington, Cho and Kim will fly to Canada for the inaugural meeting of the foreign and defense ministers with their Canadian counterparts.

The launch of the "two plus two" talks with Canada makes the North American country South Korea's third partner, after the U.S. and Australia, to hold such a meeting among the foreign and defense ministers.

The first gathering in Ottawa is expected to address a range of issues of mutual interests, including cooperation in defense and security, as well as the Korean Peninsula issues.

They will also release a joint statement after the talks.

During the trip, Cho will meet bilaterally with Canada's Foreign Minister Melanie Joly for discussions on bilateral cooperation and North Korea issues, Cho's office said.

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