Assistant Secretary of State Kurt Campbell says South Korea and the U.S. have agreed to establish a joint forum to seek stability and mutual gains in the Asia Pacific region.

Campbell said Friday in Seoul after a meeting with Foreign Minister Kim Sung-hwan that the two allies will also engage in ongoing dialogue in preparation for regional meetings, including the East Asia Summit (EAS).

A government official said that the inauguration of a bilateral forum to discuss regional issues would facilitate a structured venue to hold discussions that are much more in-depth than in multilateral meetings.

The official also said that this is the first time the two nations have agreed on an official Asia-Pacific forum, adding that no concrete plans, such as for the timing of the inauguration, have been made.