US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has arrived at Osan Air Force Base in South Korea, and North Korea’s nuclear weapons program will be at the forefront of Austin's discussions with his South Korean counterpart, Suh Wook.
Seoul hopes President Joe Biden's administration will resume negotiations with North Korea.
Like Japan, South Korea is an important ally of the United States in the region.
This visit comes at a time when North Korea issued a warning to Seoul and Washington, about the joint military exercises between them.
It is noteworthy that the Biden administration has not yet determined its policy towards Pyongyang, and said that it would comprehensively review the previous administration's policy towards North Korea.
The sister of the North Korean leader demanded in a statement that the US administration refrain from stirring up problems during the next four years.
She said that if the US administration "wants to sleep peacefully for the next four years, it is better to refrain from creating problems in its first steps."
Saki: American officials have communicated with North Korea through a number of channels since they assumed their (European) posts.
Two days ago, the White House said that North Korea has so far rejected US attempts to hold a dialogue, in a continuation of the stalemate in relations between the two countries that began during the era of former President Donald Trump and extended to the Biden presidency.
North Korea abandoned diplomatic efforts with Trump even though its leader Kim Jong Un held three summits with him, and they exchanged a series of messages.
Trump rejected North Korea's pleas to ease sanctions on it, on the condition that Kim take steps to dismantle his country's nuclear program, a condition that was rejected in turn.
For her part, White House spokeswoman Jin Saki told reporters that US officials have communicated with North Korea through a number of channels since they took office about two months ago.
"Our goal is to reduce the risk of escalation. But so far, we have not received any response," she added. The American spokeswoman did not disclose the nature of the escalation that her country fears.
North Korea conducted 6 nuclear tests between 2006 and 2017.
Saki said that the US administration is consulting with former government officials who have been involved in setting North Korea's policies with previous administrations, and is also seeking consultations with its allies Tokyo and Seoul.
It is noteworthy that Moscow waved corresponding steps if Washington deployed new missiles in Europe, Japan and South Korea, and considered that this step was destabilizing.