The United States and South Korea will have their first ministerial strategic dialogue next week on a wide range of issues, the State Department announced Tuesday.

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will host her South Korean counterpart Ban Ki-Moon for the inaugural session of the so-called Strategic Consultations for Allied Partnership on Jan. 19, State Department spokesman Sean McCormack told reporters.

The talks, agreed last November at the summit between US President George W. Bush and South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun, will focus on global, regional and bilateral issues of mutual concern," McCormack said.

"The strategic consultations reflect the dynamic global partnership we have developed with the Republic of Korea and consolidate the strong bilateral cooperation that we have long shared," McCormack said.

It was expected that the scheduled talks will also cover efforts to break the stalemate of the six-party talks on nuclear issues on the Korean peninsula that involves the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, the United States, the Republic of Korea, China, Japan and Russia.

South Korea is a key Asian ally of the United States, which so far is engaged in ministerial strategic talks with Japan, Australia, and Saudi Arabia.

(Xinhua News Agency January 11, 2006)