Kerry to visit Asia next month

WASHINGTON, March 15 (UPI) -- Secretary of State John Kerry will make his first trip to Asia as the top U.S. diplomat next month, State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said.

After attending an April 10-11 Group of Eight meeting in London, Kerry will travel to South Korea, Japan and China, Nuland said Thursday.

Kerry will meet with his diplomatic counterparts and "discuss the full range of bilateral, multilateral, and regional issues, as well as our economic cooperation and the environment," Nuland said.

When in Seoul, Kerry will meet with President Park Geun-hye and Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se to discuss North Korea and other issues, Yonhap reported.

Park is preparing to conduct her first talks with U.S. President Barack Obama in early May.

In June, Kerry will attend the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Regional Forum lead by Brunei and visit other countries in the Southeast Asia region, Nuland said.

U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense Ash Carter will travel to South Korea next week as part of a four-country mission Sunday through Thursday, the Pentagon said.