In initial Asia visit, Mattis vows joint stance against North Korean nuclear threat

Defense Secretary James Mattis focused on the nuclear threat from North Korea in his first overseas trip Thursday, sending a signal about U.S. defense priorities at the outset of the Trump administration.

Mattis began a lightning-fast visit to Asia this week — the first foreign trip by a member of President Trump’s still-incomplete Cabinet — less than two weeks after being sworn in as the Pentagon boss.

After touching down in Seoul, Mattis met with senior officials in the South Korean capital, including Hwang Kyo-ahn, the acting president. The retired Marine general’s visit takes place at a time of political upheaval in South Korea caused by a major political scandal as the Constitutional Court considers whether to uphold lawmakers’ vote to impeach President Park Geun-hye.

Read the full article at The Washington Post.