U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry will visit South Korea this week for discussions on North Korea and pending Seoul-Washington issues, his department announced Sunday.

In Seoul, the secretary will "reaffirm the strength of the U.S.-ROK alliance, discuss ways to expand our cooperation on regional and global issues, and continue our close coordination with the ROK on North Korea," it said in a press release.

The ROK is the acronym for South Korea's official name, the Republic of Korea.

The department said Kerry will make a six-day trip to Seoul, Beijing, Jakarta and Abu Dhabi, apparently in that order, but did not specify how long he will stay in Seoul.

It will be his fifth trip to Asia in the past year and his first to South Korea in 10 months.

Traveling to China, Kerry also plans to discuss North Korea and other regional issues, according to the department.

The secretary will "relay the message that the United States is committed to pursuing a positive, cooperative, comprehensive relationship, and welcomes the rise of a peaceful and prosperous China that plays a positive role in world affairs," it said.

In Jakarta, he will reiterate that the U.S. "values Indonesia's growing leadership on global challenges," and also co-chair the Joint Commission Meeting under the U.S.-Indonesia Comprehensive Partnership, it said.

He will use the upcoming trip to Abu Dhabi to discuss a range of bilateral and regional issues that are of mutual interest to the U.S.-UAE relationship, it added. (Yonhap News)