1st official U.S. trip to Seoul since Lee Jae-myung took office

A senior U.S. diplomat has reaffirmed the strength of the Seoul-Washington alliance, as he marked the first visit of a high-level official to South Korea since its new leader was elected.

The State Department's Senior Bureau Official for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Sean O'Neill held meetings at Seoul's Foreign Ministry on Friday.

He met with counterparts in charge of intelligence, and North Korea affairs, as well as economic issues.

This comes ahead of President Lee Jae-myung's attendance at the G7 Summit next week, where he's likely to hold his first bilateral summit with President Donald Trump on the sidelines.

O'Neill told reporters he's in Seoul to talk about security interests, including North Korea, and the prosperity of both nations.