New Pentagon chief seeks to reassure Asian allies

Associated Press

WASHINGTON

By visiting Japan and South Korea on his first official overseas trip, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis is seeking to reinforce key alliances after President Donald Trump’s campaign-trail complaints that defense treaties disadvantaged the United States.

The visits also reflect the urgency of concerns on both sides of the Pacific about North Korea’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs. Mattis, a retired four-star Marine general, inherited a North Korea problem that has grown more worrisome as the communist nation’s leader, Kim Jong Un, claims progress toward fielding a ballistic missile capable of delivering a nuclear warhead to the United States.

Former Secretary of State John Kerry said in early January the U.S. may need “more forceful ways” of dealing with North Korea if it develops a ballistic missile of intercontinental range.

Mattis, who entered office hours after Trump on Jan. 20, took off from Joint Base Andrews, Md., and is due to arrive today in Seoul, where he will meet with his counterpart, Defense Minister Han Min Koo, amid a swirl of political turmoil. President Park Geun-hye was impeached in December and the constitutional court is reviewing whether to formally end her rule. Later in the week, Mattis is to hold talks in Tokyo with Defense Minister Tomomi Inada and other senior Japanese government officials.

North Korea is expected to be at or near the top of Mattis’ agenda. Beyond its long-range missile aspirations, the North already has missiles capable of hitting South Korea as well as U.S. bases in Japan.

Trump said during the campaign that while he supports the alliances with Japan and South Korea, he would not rule out abandoning them if they refuse to pay more for their own defense.