Pompeo's Visit to Korea Postponed, US "Revisit Asia in October"... Prior Consultation with Korea

Visiting Only Japan from 4th to 6th for Quad Meeting... Schedule Change Likely Due to Trump's Diagnosis
Foreign Ministry "Prior Explanation of Unavoidable Circumstances, Expecting Visit to Korea Soon"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has postponed his scheduled visit to South Korea on the 7th and 8th. Originally, Secretary Pompeo was set to visit Mongolia, Japan, and South Korea, but due to President Donald Trump's confirmed COVID-19 infection, he will only attend the QUAD meeting held in Japan from the 4th to the 6th.

On the 3rd (local time), the U.S. Department of State announced in a revised press release regarding Pompeo's Asia tour schedule that he plans to visit Tokyo, Japan from the 4th to the 6th. The Department stated, "Secretary Pompeo is expected to visit Asia again in October and will adjust his schedule accordingly," indicating that he will embark on another Asia tour in a few weeks.

In response, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that they received prior explanation regarding the postponement of Pompeo's visit to South Korea and hope that the visit will be arranged as soon as possible. The Ministry said, "Our government regrets the postponement of Secretary Pompeo's visit due to unavoidable circumstances," and added, "We hope that Secretary Pompeo's visit to South Korea will be rescheduled promptly."

Furthermore, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs added, "We received prior explanation from the U.S. side regarding the postponement of Secretary Pompeo's visit and have maintained close communication through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs?U.S. Embassy in Korea and the U.S. Department of State?Korean Embassy in the U.S."

With the postponement of this Asia tour, Secretary Pompeo plans to focus on the QUAD foreign ministers' meeting. The QUAD is a security consultative group consisting of four countries: the U.S., Japan, Australia, and India. The U.S. side has been requesting South Korea's participation under the 'QUAD Plus (+)' framework. The U.S. Department of State explained, "Secretary Pompeo is expected to visit Asia again in October and will adjust his schedule accordingly," and "There will be a revisit to Asia in a few weeks."

The change in Secretary Pompeo's Asia tour schedule was decided after President Trump tested positive for COVID-19 and was admitted to Walter Reed Army Medical Center. Until the 2nd, when President Trump was confirmed positive, the U.S. side had stated that the Asia tour would proceed as planned, but later changed the plan to cancel only the visits to South Korea and Mongolia.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

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