BEIJING: US Defense Secretary James Mattis travels to Seoul and Tokyo Thursday to reassure Washington's key East Asian allies after President Donald Trump unilaterally suspended military exercises in South Korea, sparking concern over his commitment to the region.

With the US president lauding North Korean leader Kim Jong Un as a "talented guy" as he seeks to persuade Pyongyang to give up its nuclear weapons, Mattis will head to South Korea Thursday afternoon after a two-day visit to China.

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