U.S. Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro will visit South Korea and the Indo-Pacific region as his first overseas trip.

The U.S. Navy said in a statement that Secretary Del Toro will embark on his first overseas trip on Thursday to visit sailors, marines and government leaders in the Indo-Pacific area. 

The Navy said Del Toro will meet with senior leaders in Hawaii, Japan, South Korea, Guam and Papua New Guinea to discuss the importance of international defense partnerships, and reinforce the U.S.' commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific region. 

Del Toro said that the region is a priority for the Department of Defense and the Department of Navy, adding that to ensure U.S. dominance against an evolving threat environment, it must be present, persistent and powerful in its integrated maritime strategy.

He also stressed that the U.S. must invest in the health, readiness and capability of its fleet and strengthen relationships with its naval partners in the region.