Top presidential aide on security to visit U.S.

SEOUL, Feb. 6 (Yonhap) -- A top secretary to South Korean President Lee Myung-bak
on foreign and security issues will be in Washington next week for talks with his
counterparts from the White House and state and defense departments on bilateral
issues, Seoul's presidential office Cheong Wa Dae said Friday.

Kim Sung-hwan will visit the United States from Wednesday through Sunday,
according to Kim Eun-hye, a spokeswoman for Cheong Wa Dae.
"The chief presidential secretary for foreign affairs and security issues will
visit the United States for talks with U.S. National Security Adviser James Jones
on key diplomatic and security issues," the spokeswoman told a press briefing.
"He will also meet with ranking officials from the State Department and the
Defense Department," she added.
A former vice foreign minister, Kim will be the highest South Korean official to
visit Washington since the new U.S. administration of Barack Obama was
inaugurated on Jan. 20.
Kim's visit comes just ahead of U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's two-day
travel to Seoul from Feb. 19 as part of her four-nation tour that will also take
her to Tokyo, Jakarta and Beijing.
bdk@yna.co.kr