Clinton to visit South Korea, Myanmar

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will travel to South Korea next week to take part in international talks on aid, before heading for a historic trip to Myanmar, officials said Wednesday. Clinton will visit Busan, South Korea on November 30 to attend the Fourth High-Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness, which will also include UN chief Ban Ki-moon and Jordan's Queen Rania. Clinton's "participation reflects the United States' strong political commitment to development as a key pillar of global security, prosperity, and democratic progress," the State Department said in a statement. It added the Busan meeting "represents a landmark opportunity for world leaders to take stock of recent changes in the development landscape and chart a new course for global cooperation." The top US diplomat will then travel to Nay Pyi Taw and Yangon in Myanmar from November 30 to December 2 -- the first visit to the Southeast Asian nation by a US secretary of state for 50 years. US President Barack Obama announced in Indonesia last week that he was sending Clinton to Myanmar, previously known as Burma, because after "years of darkness, we have seen flickers of progress in the last several weeks." The announcement of the historic trip came as opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi's party said it would return to Myanmar's official political arena after years of marginalization under military rule. The State Department said Clinton's trip "will underscore the US commitment to a policy of principled engagement and direct dialogue as part of our dual-track approach." "She will register support for reforms that we have witnessed in recent months and discuss further reforms in key areas, as well as steps the US can take to reinforce progress," the statement added. Clinton will be accompanied by Assistant Secretary Kurt Campbell, Assistant Secretary Michael Posner, and Special Representative and Policy Coordinator for Burma Derek Mitchell, among others.