Campbell may visit Seoul next week: source

(LEAD)WASHINGTON, June 2 (Yonhap) -- Kurt Campbell, the U.S. assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs, may travel to South Korea next week to discuss alliance issues and North Korea, a source here said Thursday.
Campbell plans to visit China early next week and he may make a trip to Seoul afterwards, according to the source.
The visit would allow him to receive a direct briefing from Chinese officials on the outcome of North Korean leader Kim Jong-il's recent trip to China. Kim had summit talks with President Hu Jintao.
Close consultations between Seoul and Washington have gained urgency again, as the North is turning to provocative acts after a short-lived let-up. Earlier this week, Pyongyang openly criticized the Lee Myung-bak administration for "begging" for an inter-Korean summit and disclosed details of a secret meeting between the two sides weeks ago.
South Korean officials are also apparently unnerved by Washington's move to resume food aid to their recalcitrant communist neighbor.
"If Assistant Secretary of State Campbell visits South Korea, the security conditions on the Korean Peninsula after North Korea's revelation of secret contact and the food aid issue will likely be mainly discussed," the source said.
Speaking at a congressional hearing earlier in the day, Robert King, special envoy for North Korean human rights issues, suggested a subtle rift between Seoul and Washington.
"We consult with them on issues that relate to North Korea and that relate to regional security issues. We agree with them on many issues. There are some issues that we disagree," he said.