Blinken to travel to France, Japan, South Korea for final trip as Secretary of State

Secretary of State Antony Blinken will travel to France, Japan, and South Korea this weekend for his last scheduled trip as leader of the State Department. 

The State Department said Blinken will take off Saturday and return early Thursday for funeral services of the late President Jimmy Carter, who died last Sunday at 100 years old, per ABC News.

Blinken's trip to South Korea and Japan will focus on the expansion of the United States' relationship with both nations as part of the Biden administration’s Indo-Pacific strategy, which was created in part to combat Chinese influence and North Korean threats. 

"Secretary Blinken will reaffirm the importance of the alliance in addressing a range of bilateral, regional, and global issues and continue to build on the momentum of U.S.-Japan-[South Korea] trilateral cooperation," the department said in a news release.

The secretary's trip to France, which is the last leg of his trip, will take place in Paris, where he will meet with French officials to discuss European security and developments in the Middle East.

Blinken has not announced when he will leave office, which will likely occur after President-elect Donald Trump is sworn into office, but he is expected to be replaced by Republican Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, if he is confirmed by the Senate. 

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.