New U.S. official on East Asia to visit Seoul this month

By Lee Chi-dong
SEOUL, July 2 (Yonhap) -- The new U.S. assistant secretary of state for East Asia
and the Pacific will visit South Korea later this month as part of his first
regional tour since assuming the post, a diplomatic source here said Thursday.
"He plans to travel to South Korea and other Northeast Asian nations in the week
starting on July 12 just before attending the ASEAN Regional Forum (to be held in
Phuket)," the source said, requesting anonymity. "His office is in consultations
with relevant nations to fix a schedule."
Kurt Campbell, who served as a top adviser on Asian affairs to former President
Bill Clinton, began his work as President Barack Obama's point man on East Asia
and the Pacific region earlier this week after the Senate endorsed his
appointment.
With the post having been filled after months of vacancy, diplomatic
consultations between Seoul and Washington are set to come into full-fledged
operation.
During his upcoming trip to Seoul, Campbell is expected to pay introductory calls
to top South Korean officials at the presidential office, foreign ministry,
defense ministry, and other agencies.
"He is also likely to fine-tune agenda items for talks between Foreign Minister
Yu Myung-hwan and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to be held on the sidelines
of the ASEAN Regional Forum from July 17-23."
Campbell, a well-known expert on Asian affairs, replaced Christopher Hill, who
has become Washington's ambassador to Iraq. But unlike his predecessor, who was
chief negotiator in denuclearization talks with North Korea, Campbell will
broaden his focus to include U.S. relations with countries throughout the region.

Obama appointed Stephen Bosworth, formerly ambassador to Seoul, as special
representative for North Korea policy, while Sung Kim, chief envoy in nuclear
talks with the North, handles day-to-day dealings regarding Pyongyang.
The Obama administration has also appointed Philip Goldberg to coordinate the
implementation of U.N. sanctions on North Korea. Goldberg is leading an
interagency delegation to Beijing to discuss punitive steps against the North for
its recent nuclear test. The team also plans to visit Kuala Lumpur before
returning to Washington next Monday, according to the State Department, which did
not specify reasons for the Malaysia visit.
lcd@yna.co.kr
(END)