US Army chief, Gen. Mark A. Milley

Chief of the US Army plans to visit South Korea this week to discuss pending military issues with his military counterparts in Seoul, possibly including the planned deployment of an advanced US missile defense system here, the Korean defense ministry said Tuesday. "US Army chief, Gen. Mark A. Milley plans to visit South Korea from Wednesday through Friday with a meeting with South Korea's Army Chief of Staff Jang Jun-kyu due on the last day," an Army spokesman said during a daily briefing, cited by Yonhap news agency.     But South Korea's defense ministry said they didn't have any specific details on meetings.

    The general's trip is part of a longer August 15-23 tour of the Asia-Pacific region and marks his third visit to the area since he took office in August 2015. He is visiting China and Japan for the first time as the chief and is making his second visit to South Korea, the US Army said Monday on its website. "In Korea, he is scheduled to visit US Army troops at several locations on the peninsula. While there, he will receive updates on brigade deployments, the combined US and ROK 2nd Infantry Division, the relocation of US Army units to Camp Humphreys and plans to deploy a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) to protect the Republic of Korea from North Korean ballistic missile threats," the website said. 

    Milley is currently in China, where he plans to meet local military officials to discuss a variety of regional issues and ways to deepen bilateral ties. In Japan, he will discuss opportunities for closer collaboration between the two countries' armies. And then he plans to wrap up his trip in Hawaii to meet US soldiers stationed there, it said.

Source: QNA