Overview

• Sean O'Neill, acting head of the State Department's East Asian and Pacific Affairs bureau, arrived in Seoul for his first visit since President Lee's inauguration.
• He stressed making the alliance always fit for purpose to defend both countries against evolving security challenges.
• Separate meetings with Vice Minister Cho Koo-rae and Deputy Foreign Minister Kim Hee-sang focused on coordinating responses to North Korean nuclear threats and deepening economic ties.
• U.S. officials pressed South Korea to increase its defense burden-sharing for stationing about 28,500 American troops on the peninsula.
• Both governments agreed to strengthen communication across all levels and to continue coordinating policy on tariffs.