With less than three weeks to go until the official termination of South Korea and Japan's military intel sharing pact, known as the GSOMIA,... the U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific affairs, David Stilwell, is due in Seoul later Tuesday.
Despite Seoul and Tokyo being no closer to resolving their trade spat that was the catalyst for South Korea's decision, observers say Stilwell's visit may still signal the agreement will be extended.
Lee Seung-jae has more.
U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific affairs, David Stilwell is set to arrive in Seoul Tuesday for his first trip here in four months.
During his three-day stay,... Stilwell is expected to meet with Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha,... as well as related officials from the Presidential Office of Cheong Wa Dae and the National Assembly.
But this latest visit is drawing extra attention as he's likely to discuss key issues,... such as the South Korea-U.S. alliance,... defense cost-sharing,... and the possibility of extending the South Korea-Japan military intel sharing pact, known as GSOMIA.
In particular,... with the frosty relationship between Seoul and Tokyo,... and GSOMIA's termination looming,... observers say the message Stilwell brings to Seoul will be all the more important this time around.
At a press conference in Tokyo last month,... Stilwell stressed the importance of GSOMIA,... saying it's beneficial to both the United States and Japan,... adding he hoped the two neighbors will be able to see the issue from a broader perspective to resolve their differences.
As a result,... Stilwell is likely to emphasize the importance of trilateral cooperation between Seoul, Washington and Tokyo,... and try to persuade the South Korean government to declare a U-turn on its GSOMIA decision.
As the Trump administration continues to worry that the military pact lapsing would infringe on U.S. national interests,... Stilwell's trip will be closely watched as it could be instrumental in shaping the future of coordination between South Korea and the U.S.
Lee Seung-jae, Arirang News.