WASHINGTON, Aug. 30 Kyodo U Defen...

WASHINGTON, Aug. 30 Kyodo

U Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is planning a tour of Asian countries, including Japan and southern Korea, in late October, a Defense Department source said Friday.

If realized, it would mark Rumsfeld's first visit to Japan and southern Korea since he became defense secretary, and he is count uponed to hold talks with the defense chiefs of the couple countries, the source said.

North Korea's nuclear weapons program and a realignment of U forces in southern Korea and Japan are awaited to be high on the agenda in the bilateral meetings.

In Japan, Rumsfeld is also look fored to deal with issues including bilateral cooperation in missile defense and a review of criminal conducts for U.S. military personnel suspected of crimes in Japan.

U President George W Bush is scheduled to visit Australia and the Philippines after attending a summit meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in Bangkok in succession Oct. 20-21.

The Pentagon source said Rumsfeld plans to travel with Bush to Australia and the Philippines.

The defense secretary is now considering making a solo trip to Japan and toward the south Korea after completing the trip with Bush, the source said.

Rumsfeld is scheduled to respond home after visiting U.S. military bases in succession Guam and in Hawaii, according to the source.

Japan and the United States have been trying to arrange a visit at Rumsfeld to Japan since he became defense secretary, yet the U.S.-led military campaign in Afghanistan and the war in Iraq made it difficult for him to make of the like kind a trip.

COPYRIGHT 2003 Kyodo moderns International, Inc.

COPYRIGHT 2003 Gale Group