U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin is set to visit South Korea in the coming weeks.

In a regular press briefing on Tuesday, Pentagon spokesperson Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder confirmed earlier media reports that Secretary Austin will soon travel to South Korea and the Philippines to meet with senior government and military officials in both countries.

Ryder said the trip represents a reaffirmation of the U.S.’ deep commitment to joint efforts with its allies and partners to pursue the shared vision of preserving a free and open Indo-Pacific.

Austin's trip comes as South Korea and the U.S. are planning to hold an extended deterrence exercise in February to counter a possible North Korean nuclear attack.

During the proposed trip, the U.S. defense chief is expected to check up on preparations for the upcoming tabletop exercise, or TTX, led by the Deterrence Strategy Committee.

Refusing to elaborate on details of the exercise, Ryder simply said that the U.S. has reaffirmed its commitment to providing extended deterrence to regional allies South Korea and Japan and it will continue to focus on training and to ensure interoperability.