Assistant U.S. Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel Kritenbrink speaks at a hearing with the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in Washington, D.C., Dec. 8, 2021. AFP-Yonhap

U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel Kritenbrink is set to arrive in South Korea on Monday to discuss a range of regional and bilateral issues

Kritenbrink is scheduled to arrive in Seoul later in the day after wrapping up his visit to Beijing together with National Security Council Senior Director for China and Taiwan Laura Rosenberger, according to the U.S. State Department and Seoul's foreign ministry officials.

He plans to hold talks with Deputy Foreign Minister Choi Young-sam on Tuesday and is scheduled to fly to Japan on Wednesday morning.

The two sides are expected to discuss North Korea in the wake of a series of missile launches and other provocations, as well as South Korea's concerns over the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).

The IRA, signed into law by U.S. President Joe Biden in August, gives up to $7,500 in tax credits to buyers of electric vehicles (EVs) assembled only in North America, sparking concerns that Hyundai Motor and Kia Corp. could lose ground in the U.S. market. The two South Korean carmakers assemble their EVs at domestic plants for export to the U.S.

The two sides could also discuss ways to boost the South Korea-U.S. alliance, which is set to mark its 70th anniversary next year. (Yonhap)