Blinken to Visit South Korea Next Week

The South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Wednesday that U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will visit the country on November 8 and 9 to discuss North Korea issues and the alliance with his counterpart Park Jin. The ministry stated that Park and Blinken will also address economic security, cooperation in industrial technology, and regional issues of mutual interest. This visit is the first by a U.S. Secretary of State to the country in two and a half years and comes amid increasing security cooperation between the allied nations and growing concerns over military cooperation between North Korea and Russia. Recently, South Korea, the United States, and Japan condemned the supply of weapons and military equipment from North Korea to Russia, presenting what they claimed were evidence of such shipments. North Korea and Russia have denied allegations of arms deals while pledging to expand their relations.