U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Seoul on Wednesday for talks with his South Korean counterpart, as the allies step up cooperation in the face of growing concerns over North Korea's closer military ties with Russia.

SEOUL: United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken will visit South Korea for talks next week, the two countries announced on Friday (Jan 3), with Seoul mired in political turmoil as its impeached president resists arrest.

SEOUL, South Korea — Secretary of State Antony Blinken said a North Korean missile test carried out during his visit to Seoul on Monday was a reminder of the need to deepen Washington’s cooperation with South Korea and Japan to deter an emboldened Pyongyang.

News that Blinken plans to talk to South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul came a day after the American envoy’s deputy, Kurt Campbell, called Yoon’s controversial move “problematic” and “illegitimate”. The criticism coincided with calls domestically for the South Korean leader to step down.