U.S. State Department's top Korea official visiting Seoul

By Lee Chi-dong
SEOUL, Sept. 11 (Yonhap) -- Kurt Tong, head of the U.S. State Department's Korea Desk, is on his first trip to Seoul since he was assigned to the post early last month, embassy officials here said Thursday.

"He has been in the country for a few days," said Aaron Tarver, press attache at the U.S. Embassy in Seoul, in a phone interview. He did not give specific arrival date or Tong's schedule. Another embassy official said later on condition of anonymity that "the
purpose of his trip is familiarization" with South Korea.

Tong gained experience on Korea while serving as a White House official dealing
with Asian economic affairs, and also while working as an economic affairs
counselor at the U.S. embassy here.

"As the director of the Korea Desk at the State Department, however, he
needs more information," the official said.

Tong replaced Sung Kim who was named Washington's special envoy for the six-party
talks on the North Korean nuclear program.

lcd@yna.co.kr

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