US top official Antony Blinken arrives in South Korea to attend democracy summit

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived on Sunday in South Korea on the first stop of a brief Asia tour also including the Philippines, as Washington moves to reinforce ties with two key regional allies.

Blinken landed on Sunday afternoon ahead of the third Summit for Democracy on Monday, an initiative of US President Joe Biden, which Seoul is hosting this week.

Before arriving in Seoul, Blinken made a brief stop in Bahrain, where he spoke to King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa about efforts to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza.

The summit, which runs from March 18 to 20, will bring together government officials, NGOs and civil society members.

Seoul is one of Washington’s key regional allies, and the United States has stationed about 27,000 American soldiers in the South, to help protect it against the nuclear-armed North.

Seoul’s conservative President Yoon Suk-yeol has boosted ties with Washington and sought to bury the historical hatchet with former colonial power Japan to better guard against Pyongyang’s threats.

Blinken will meet South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul, according to the ministry, for discussions that will cover how to boost the alliance, as Washington and Seoul explore how to improve their so-called extended deterrence against North Korea.

The ministerial sessions will be held on the first day, followed by panel discussions involving civic groups the next day. The leaders’ session will take place virtually on the last day.

The democracy summit has attracted some criticism due to its selective invitation list, which excludes countries that consider themselves democratic, such as Thailand and Turkey.

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After Seoul,