US intelligence chief visits Seoul
By Jun Ji-hye
James Clapper
The top U.S. intelligence official visited South Korea this week and met with security and foreign ministry officials to discuss North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs, a source here said Thursday.
Director of National Intelligence James Clapper arrived in Seoul, Wednesday, the officials said.
Clapper leads the United States Intelligence Community and serves as the principal intelligence advisor to President Barack Obama.
“Clapper visited the Ministry of National Defense on Wednesday morning in an unofficial visit and met with Defense Minister Han Min-koo,” said a government official on condition of anonymity.
The two discussed the possibility of another North Korean nuclear test and other security issues, the source said.
His visit came amid speculation that the Kim Jong-un regime may push ahead with a fifth nuclear test as a means to mark the seventh Workers’ Party congress, only months after it carried out the fourth nuclear test on Jan. 6.
Clapper also met with other ranking security and military officials, as well as Gen. Vincent Brooks, who was sworn in on April 30 as the new commander of U.S. Forces Korea, the United Nations Command and the Combined Forces Command, according to officials.
“The visit is believed to have been made in time for the appointment of Gen. Vincent Brooks,” said another government official, noting that the two U.S. officials are believed to have exchanged intelligence on recent developments in the North’s nuclear activities.
Clapper previously visited South Korea in May 2014 when increasing activities were detected at the North’s Punggye-ri nuclear test site.
At the time, Clapper met with then-Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin as well as President Park Geun-hye.
In the meantime, officials refused to provide any information on Clapper’s current location.