A high-level U.S. delegation seeking ways to address recent provocations by North Korea, which include a nuclear test and missile launches, will meet with President Lee Myung-bak on Thursday.

Led by Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg, the U.S. delegation is currently touring member states of the six-way nuclear talks. They arrived in Seoul on Tuesday.

During the meeting with Lee, the U.S. officials are expected to stress the need to make clear that the North must face strong penalties, including sanctions, for its provocations.

Lee and the U.S. officials are also likely to discuss long-term measures for the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula as well as details for the upcoming South Korea-U.S. summit scheduled for the middle of this month in Washington.

The U.S. delegation will wrap up its South Korea trip on Thursday, after which it will head to China on Friday.

The delegation is made up of high-level government officials related to affairs on the Korean Peninsula, including U.S. special envoy on North Korea Stephen Bosworth, Treasury Undersecretary Stuart Levey, Assistance Secretary of Defense for Asian and Pacific Security Affairs Wallace Gregson and the National Security Council's Senior Director for Asian Affairs Jeffrey Bader.