The U.S. State Department announced Friday that Secretary of State Antony Blinken will visit South Korea, Japan, and France from January 4-9 amid a political crisis in Seoul.

Blinken will meet with senior South Korean government officials and discuss how to strengthen key efforts to support a free, open, and prosperous Indo-Pacific region, as well as trilateral efforts with Japan, the State Department said in a statement, according to Reuters.

In France, Blinken will discuss challenges in the Middle East and Europe, the statement said, in light of ongoing efforts to reach a ceasefire agreement in Gaza.