Washington's top official on East Asia policy, David Stilwell will meet more South Korean officials in Seoul in the coming hours... to discuss the alliance as well as the ongoing trade spat between South Korea and Japan.
It's believed that Stilwell met Presidential Deputy National Security Advisor Kim Hyun-chong this morning for a closed-door meeting.
He also held talks with Seoul's top nuclear envoy Lee Do-hoon at the foreign ministry.
He'll meet Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha and Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs Yoon Soon-gu this afternoon.
With Stilwell's visit coming at a delicate time of escalating trade tensions between Seoul and Tokyo,... South Korean officials are expected to ask for Washington's active role in resolving the dispute.
And attention is on what Stilwell will say regarding the issue.