U.S. Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan may visit South Korea early next month. 

Kyodo News quoted relevant sources as saying that Shanahan is considering trips to South Korea and Japan in June. 

The Japanese media outlet speculated that his possible visits will aim to discuss measures to strengthen trilateral cooperation among Washington, Seoul and Tokyo following North Korea’s recent missile launches. 

Shanahan is scheduled to attend the Asia Security Summit to be held in Singapore between May 31st and June second. According to Kyodo, he will likely make a stop in South Korea afterward between June second and June third before flying to Japan. 

Kyodo expects Shanahan will sit down with South Korean Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo in Seoul to talk about the situation regarding the North and future South Korea-U.S. joint military exercises. 

In Japan, he may meet with Japanese Defense Minister Takeshi Iwaya and possibly Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.