A senior U.S. State Department official will visit South Korea early next month as part of a six-nation Asia trip.

The State Department said in a news release on Thursday that Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs David Stilwell will visit Japan, Myanmar, Malaysia, Thailand, South Korea and China from Thursday to November seventh.

The assistant secretary will visit Seoul on November fifth to meet with senior presidential office and Foreign Ministry officials to discuss ways to deepen the U.S.-South Korea alliance and enhance bilateral cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region. 

Stilwell will kick off his tour with a three-day stay in Japan, where he will meet with foreign and defense ministry officials.

His Japan trip draws attention as it comes on the heels of South Korean Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon's meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, at which they agreed on the need to improve strained bilateral relations.

A military intelligence sharing pact between Seoul and Tokyo is set to expire on November 22 and it remains to be seen if the U.S. will play a role in preventing its termination. 

Stilwell is also scheduled to visit Thailand from November first to fifth to attend the 35th U.S.-ASEAN summit, East Asia summit and the Indo-Pacific business forum.