Kang's trip comes as Seoul steps up efforts to broker talks between the US and North Korea to ease tensions on the Korean Peninsula and achieve the denuclearization of North Korea.

Last week, South Korean presidential envoys met with President Donald Trump and briefed him on the result of their recent meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. After the meeting last Friday (Korean time), the envoys said Trump agreed to hold a summit with Kim by May to achieve permanent denuclearization.

During the forthcoming meeting, Kang and Tillerson also plan to discuss the United States' recent protectionist measures as well as other economic and trade issues, the ministry said, referring to Trump's recent decision to impose heavy tariffs on steel imports, including those from South Korea.

On the sidelines, Kang also plans to meet with key legislators to ask for their support for alliance issues like the push for a peaceful resolution of the North Korean nuclear issue and the latest trade issues, the ministry added.

Ahead of her visit, Lee Do-hoon, the foreign ministry's chief negotiator on the North Korean nuclear issue, will travel to the US on Wednesday to arrange the foreign ministerial talks, according to the ministry. (Yonhap)