SEOUL - South Korea's top diplomat will meet with his US and Japanese counterparts during a three-day trip to Washington starting Sunday, the foreign ministry here said Thursday.

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Kim Sung-hwan is scheduled to meet with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Japanese Foreign Minister Seiji Maehara for a three-way meeting next Monday to discuss countermeasures against the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK)'s artillery shelling of a South Korean island last Tuesday, according to the ministry.

The three top diplomats will also discuss collaboration on other issues regarding the DPRK, including the current nuclear standoff, the ministry said in a press release.

Two separate bilateral meetings are also scheduled, with Kim and Clinton expected to discuss DPRK issues along with a two-way free trade deal between Seoul and Washington that awaits legislative approval in both countries.

DPRK issues and bilateral relations between South Korea and Japan will top the agenda at a scheduled bilateral meeting between Kim and Maehara, according to the ministry.