US defense chief to visit S. Korea for annual talks

SEOUL - 22 October 2017: US Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis will visit South Korea this week for annual security talks between the allies, the Pentagon said, amid high tensions over North Korea's nuclear program, Yonhap News Agency reported on Sunday.

Mattis will co-chair the 49th annual Security Consultative Meeting with South Korean Defense Minister Song Young-moo, the Pentagon said in a statement late Saturday. It did not release the date, but the talks are reportedly scheduled for the coming Saturday.

The allies will be meeting as tensions have reached new levels with North Korea's test-firing of long-range ballistic missiles and its sixth and most powerful nuclear test, held in September. The talks also come ahead of US President Donald Trump's first visit to South Korea and the region in November.