SEOUL, South Korea -- U.S. climate envoy John Kerry met with South Korea’s foreign minister in Seoul on Saturday for talks ahead of a virtual climate summit of world leaders called by President Joe Biden for next week. Kerry arrived in South Korea after a four-day visit to China where he held closed-door meetings with senior Chinese officials in Shanghai. Chung also requested U.S. help for South Korea’s efforts to secure more coronavirus vaccines as it wrestles with a slow vaccine rollout and a steady rise in infections, South Korea’s Foreign Ministry said. Kerry’s visit to South Korea comes at a time when the Biden administration is also stepping up efforts to coordinate action with South Korea and Japan to cope with China’s growing influence and North Korea’s nuclear threat. The U.S. State Department had said Kerry’s visits to China and South Korea were to discuss “raising global climate ambition” ahead of Biden’s climate meeting.

Source: ABC News April 17, 2021 11:26 UTC