Defense Minister Yoon Kwaung-ung has discussed Washington's plan to cut its troops in South Korea with U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell in Washington.

The talks at the State Department were held Friday ahead of Powell's visit to South Korea next week as part of his North Asia tour covering Japan and China beginning Saturday.

State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said in a news briefing that the two ministers discussed the general progress in U.S. troop restructuring. Boucher added that Powell is looking forward to talking to Seoul about the adjustments and redeployments that are being enacted within U.S. forces.

The spokesman went on to say that Seoul "certainly welcomed the arrangements that Washington had worked out with the South on the adjustment of U.S. forces in Korea both in numbers and locations."

Yoon, on his first visit to Washington as defense chief, also held talks with national security adviser Condoleezza Rice and is scheduled to meet with his U.S. counterpart, Donald Rumsfeld, on Friday for the annual Security Consultative Meeting.