The first senior U.S. official to visit South Korea since President Lee Jae-myung’s inauguration said Friday that the aim of his visit is to achieve prosperity, security and a brighter future for people in both countries.

Sean O’Neill, senior bureau official for the Department of State’s Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, said upon arriving at Seoul’s foreign ministry that the alliance remains “a linchpin of security in the Indo-Pacific” that has been agreed on for many years across many administrations.

O’Neill said he believes this will continue under the Lee and Trump administrations.

The official, who met separately with Cho Koo-rae, vice minister for strategy and intelligence, and Kim Hee-sang, deputy minister for economic affairs, said he discussed a range of issues with Cho, including North Korea, as “a major focus of the alliance.”

Friday’s discussions may also have included a preliminary exchange of views on Seoul’s share of the cost of stationing of U.S. troops on the Korean Peninsula, as well as potential talks between Lee and U.S. President Donald Trump on the margins of the upcoming Group of Seven summit.