OREANDA-NEWS. The Minister of National Defense of the Republic of Korea, Jung Gyeong-do, will leave for the United States on a six-day visit on February 23, during which he will discuss with the American counterpart Mark Esper the situation on the Korean Peninsula and other pressing problems. This was announced on Tuesday at a briefing in Seoul by an official representative of the South Korean defense department.

"During the meeting scheduled for next Monday, important issues will be discussed regarding bilateral military ties, including the distribution of costs for the maintenance of US troops in South Korea", he stressed.

The representative of the Ministry of Defense also said that during the trip, Jung Kyung Doo will meet in Washington with American veterans who took part in the Korean War of 1950-1953, hold talks with congressmen, and also visit a military base in California, where marines are trained. "The visit of the minister to the United States will be a good opportunity to confirm the strength of the bilateral military alliance and joint defense", said the representative of the Ministry of Defense

In January, the sixth round of negotiations on the distribution of the costs of maintaining the American military contingent on the Korean Peninsula ended in vain. The previous agreement expired on December 31, 2019.