South Korea's Deputy Foreign Minister Kim Gunn arrived in Washington on Thursday for talks with his U.S. counterpart to discuss pending issues between the two allies. 

Arriving at Dulles International Airport in Washington, Kim told reporters that he will work hard on strategic communication between South Korea and the United States from the start of the new year.

Kim, who took office last month, is scheduled to meet with U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs David Stilwell on Friday. He is also expected to meet with White House National Security Council Senior Director for Asian Affairs Allison Hooker during his stay.

Kim said that he just took office, so he wants to meet with his counterpart, talk about overall bilateral relations and prepare for high-level discussions planned for the start of the year.

During the U.S. trip, Kim and U.S. officials are expected to exchange opinions on the ongoing negotiations on Seoul’s cost-sharing burden for stationing U.S. troops and regional issues including North Korea's denuclearization.   

Regarding a possible meeting between Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha and U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in San Francisco later this month, the deputy minister said it is still under discussion.