U.S. Secretary of state Colin Powell will visit South Korea later this month to discuss North Korea and other matters of mutual concern.

The Foreign Ministry said Saturday that Powell's visit, scheduled for October 25th to 26th, is part of his Asian tour, which includes stopovers in Japan and China.

During his visit, Powell will meet with President Roh Moo-hyun, Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon, and Unification Minister Chung Dong-young.

Powell is expected to discuss ways to resume a new round of six-way talks on North Korea's ongoing nuclear issue and ways to improve inter-Korean relations.

He will also exchange views on a wide range of bilateral issues with South Korean officials, including the relocation of the U.S. Army base, the reduction of U.S. troops on the Korean Peninsula, fight against terrorism as well as the future alliance between South Korea and the United States.

The top U.S. official is also expected to request Seoul to extend the deployment of its troops in Iraq.