Washington: U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio will visit South Korea next week as part of a multinational trip to Asia, the State Department announced. This visit coincides with U.S. President Donald Trump's travel to Korea for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Rubio's itinerary includes stops in Kuala Lumpur, Tokyo, and Korea's southeastern city of Gyeongju, where the APEC summit will be held. His trip is scheduled from Sunday through October 30. Rubio is expected to join Trump during his visit to Korea, which is anticipated to occur next Wednesday and Thursday (local time).
This visit marks Rubio's first trip to South Korea since assuming office in January. The principal deputy spokesperson, Tommy Pigott, stated that the purpose of Rubio's visit is to advance peace and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific region.
During his stay in Korea, Rubio may have meetings with South Korea's Foreign Minister Cho Hyun and National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac. Prior to his Asia tour, Rubio plans to visit Israel from Wednesday through Saturday to support the implementation of Trump's plan to resolve the conflict in Gaza.