Ahead of Trump's Visit, U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary and "Korean Peninsula Expert" Arrives in South Korea... Involved in First-Term North Korea-U.S. Talks

With U.S. President Donald Trump scheduled to visit South Korea at the end of this month, Allison Hooker, the U.S. Department of State Deputy Assistant Secretary for Political Affairs and a recognized "Korean Peninsula expert" within the U.S. administration, arrived in South Korea on October 10. Hooker previously played a key role in North Korea-U.S. negotiations during the first Trump administration, drawing particular attention to her visit.

Allison Hooker, U.S. Department of State Deputy Assistant Secretary for Political Affairs. The photo shows her leaving a hotel in downtown Seoul in 2019 for working-level talks on the North Korea-U.S. summit. Photo by Yonhap News.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, First Vice Minister Park Yoonjoo is scheduled to hold the "10th U.S.-Korea Strategic Dialogue of Vice Foreign Ministers" with Deputy Assistant Secretary Hooker, who is visiting South Korea, at the Government Complex Seoul on the afternoon of October 10. This marks the first such meeting in about four years, since the ninth session in July 2021.

As President Trump is expected to visit South Korea and hold a bilateral summit with President Lee Jaemyung on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Gyeongju at the end of this month, the two vice ministers are likely to discuss the modernization of the U.S.-Korea alliance and the current situation on the Korean Peninsula.

Notably, Deputy Assistant Secretary Hooker was deeply involved in working-level talks during the North Korea-U.S. dialogue phase from 2018 to 2019. Within the U.S. Department of State, she is ranked third after Secretary Marco Rubio and Secretary Christopher Lando, but she is regarded as the top expert on Korean Peninsula affairs.

Meanwhile, President Trump is expected to arrive in South Korea on October 29, with his visit likely to last either for the day or for one night and two days. In this case, both the U.S.-Korea and U.S.-China summits are highly likely to be held in Gyeongju. President Trump is not expected to attend the highlight of the event, the APEC summit and dinner, scheduled for October 31.