Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha will head to the United States on Monday afternoon for talks with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

The top diplomats of the two nations will meet Tuesday in San Francisco to discuss cooperation on North Korea issues and the Middle East situation amid heightened tensions between the U.S. and Iran.

There is speculation that Pompeo may repeat calls for South Korea to deploy troops to participate in the U.S.-led military campaign in the Strait of Hormuz.

Meanwhile, Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi is also expected to travel to San Francisco for possible trilateral or bilateral talks with Kang and Pompeo.