South Korean National Defence Minister Kim Jang-soo will embark later today on a five-day tour of the United States and Japan. The country's Defence Ministry officials said that central issues at the talks will be the situation on the Korean Peninsula and matters related to strengthening bilateral military cooperation, Itar-Tass reported. Kim Jang-soo will hold talks with Pentagon chief Robert Gates on Friday. The ministers will discuss the reorganisation of the American troops contingent permanently stationed in South Korea, as well as Seoul's desire to independently exercise operational control over its armed forces in time of war. The ministers will discuss issues of regrouping of the permanently deployed US military contingent in South Korea, as well as plans of transfer to Seoul of wartime operational control over the Republic of Korea troops. On Saturday, Kim Jang-soo will arrive in Tokyo. At a meeting with the Japanese colleague Fumio Kyuma the sides intend to discuss issues of security in Northeast Asia, including in the context of the North Korean nuclear programme.
