News In Brief

Weinberger off to Japan, S. Korea for defense talks

Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger left here Monday on a six-day trip to South Korea and Japan to meet military and political leaders for talks on regional defense issues.

In Seoul, he is to attend the annual US-South Korean Security Consultative Meeting to review joint efforts to block aggression by North Korea.

The United States has about 40,000 troops in South Korea, including an Army division equipped with antitank helicopters and long-range artillery and Air Force units equipped with advanced F-16 fighters and A-10 air-support bombers.

They back South Korea's 600,000-man armed forces, which are being modernized with US military aid.