U.S. Secretary of Defense James Mattis is now in South Korea in his first overseas trip since taking office.

Seoul's Defense Ministry said that the U.S. defense chief arrived at the Osan Air Base in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, at 12:30 Thursday afternoon. 

Mattis then headed to the U.S. Forces Korea(USFK) headquarters in Yongsan, central Seoul, where he was briefed by USFK Commander Vincent Brooks about the North’s growing threats to test-launch an intercontinental ballistic missile(ICBM).

Later on Thursday, Mattis plans to pay a visit to Acting President Hwang Kyo-ahn and Presidential National Security Adviser Kim Kwan-jin.

On Friday, he will meet with Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se and then visit the headquarters of the South Korean Ministry of National Defense to meet with Minister Han Min-koo. They will hold their first defense talks since the launch of the Donald Trump administration last month.

Mattis will head to Japan after wrapping up his schedule in South Korea.

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