Seoul: A senior U.S. diplomat is set to visit South Korea to advance partnerships aimed at supporting the U.S. shipbuilding workforce and participate in various events during a two-nation trip that also includes Japan, announced the State Department on Friday. From Friday through Thursday, Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy Sarah Rogers will travel to Tokyo and Seoul to engage with government officials and private-sector leaders, focusing on key bilateral and trilateral discussions and underscoring Washington's commitment to defending freedom of expression and digital freedom.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the State Department has not disclosed the specific dates for Rogers' visits to South Korea and Japan. In Seoul, Rogers will lead the second South Korea-U.S. public diplomacy dialogue, bring together alumni from a U.S. exchange program, and work towards enhancing partnerships supporting American shipbuilding workforce development.

"The under secretary's visit will promote coordination around digital freedom, deepen people-to-people ties, and better align public diplomacy with shared economic and regional security objectives," stated the department in a press release. In Tokyo, Rogers will meet with Japanese counterparts, celebrate America's 250th birthday at the Japanese Grand Prix alongside a leading Japanese investor in the United States, and conduct a meeting on regional interconnectivity with alumni from a program involving young leaders from South Korea, the U.S., and Japan.