Gates heads to Asia for security talks

SEOUL, Nov. 4 (UPI) -- U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates is set to discuss the reduction of U.S. troops in South Korea during a tour of Asian and Pacific countries.

Gates plans meetings in Bejing, Seoul and Tokyo to discuss a wide range of security issues, including next year's reduction of U.S. soldiers from 29,500 to 25,000 in South Korea, Yonhap news agency reported Sunday.

Gates' meetings Tuesday and Wednesday in Seoul also is scheduled to cover South Korea's decision to extend troop deployment in Iraq and sharing the cost of maintaining those troops with the United States, Yonhap reported.