AKIPRESS.COM - The top U.S. diplomat for East Asia policy will embark on a trip to South Korea, Japan and Mongolia next week to strengthen cooperation with the countries for "shared priorities" across the Indo-Pacific, The Korea Times reported, citing the U.S. State Department.

From Monday through March 17, Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Michael DeSombre will travel to Tokyo, Seoul and Ulaanbaatar, the department's Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs said in a post on X.

His planned Northeast Asia swing will come as U.S. President Donald Trump plans to visit China for a summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping reportedly from late March to early April, fueling speculation that Trump could seek to resume dialogue with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un while in Asia.

During a recent key party congress, Kim said that Pyongyang has "no reason not to get along with the U.S." if Washington withdraws its hostile policy, noting that the prospects of U.S.-North Korea ties "entirely depend on the U.S. attitude", according to the North Korean state media.