South Korean Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo plans to visit the United States in the coming weeks to meet with Acting U.S. Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan. 

An official of the ministry said on Friday that Minister Jeong’s trip will be arranged as early as the end of this month, adding the two sides are in talks to set the date and agenda of the meeting. 

It will be the first time Jeong will sit down with Shanahan since Shannhan was tapped to the post following the resignation of his predecessor James Mattis. 

The two sides are expected to discuss various issues of mutual interests, including their joint military exercises. 

Speaking at a U.S. Senate Arms Services Committee hearing on Thursday, Shanahan said he will meet Jeong at the end of this month to discuss "progress and the findings" of combined exercises, which were recently scaled back to support diplomatic efforts to denuclearize North Korea.