U.S. lawmakers to visit S. Korea to discuss military ties

SEOUL, Feb. 13 (Yonhap) -- A group of 12 U.S. lawmakers will visit South Korea next week to meet with South Korean President Lee Myung-bak and other top officials to discuss evolving Seoul-Washington military ties and North Korean threats, officials said Friday.

The three-day visit by the members of the House Armed Services Committee will
come a day before U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton arrives here Thursday
as part of her four-nation Asia tour.
"The representatives will arrive in South Korea on Feb. 18," South Korean defense
ministry spokesman Won Tae-jae said, adding they will also meet with their
counterparts at the National Assembly.
The visit comes as North Korea appears to be preparing to test-launch a
long-range missile theoretically capable of reaching the western United States.
About 28,500 U.S. troops are stationed in South Korea as a deterrent against the
communist country -- a legacy of the 1950-53 Korean War that ended in a ceasefire
rather than a peace treaty.
The delegation, led by committee chairman Ike Skelton of Missouri, will also meet
with Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan and Defense Minister Lee Sang-hee to discuss
bilateral ties, Won said.
samkim@yna.co.kr
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