Defense Secretary James Mattis James Norman MattisBiden courts veterans amid fallout from Trump military controversies Trump says he wanted to take out Syria's Assad but Mattis opposed it Gary Cohn: 'I haven't made up my mind' on vote for president in November MORE’s first trip abroad will be to South Korea and Japan next week, the Pentagon confirmed Wednesday.

“The trip will underscore the commitment of the United States to our enduring alliances with Japan and the Republic of Korea, and further strengthen U.S.-Japan-Republic of Korea security cooperation,” the Pentagon said in a statement.

Mattis will leave Feb. 1 for Seoul, where he will meet with Minister of National Defense Han Min-koo and other senior South Korean officials, according to the statement.

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On Feb. 3, Mattis will travel to Tokyo for meetings with Minister of Defense Tomomi Inada and other senior Japanese officials, the statement said.

President Trump alarmed officials in South Korea and Japan with comments during the presidential campaign when he suggested allowing those countries to develop their own nuclear weapons to defend themselves.

Trump also said he would be willing to withdraw U.S. troops stationed in South Korea if the country didn’t pay a bigger share of the cost of the deployment.

During his confirmation hearing, Mattis pledged to strengthen U.S. alliances around the world, including in the Pacific.

Mattis has also made reaching out to close allies a priority during his first few days in his new job. His first calls Monday were with the head of NATO, his counterpart in the U.K. and his counterpart in Canada. On Tuesday, he also spoke with his counterparts in Australia and New Zealand.