"With a policy review on North Korea is under way in Washington, (Tillerson's visit) will give us a good opportunity to share our diverse experiences on the North that we have accumulated for decades and provide our input," the government official told on condition of anonymity.

Tillerson's visit is timed with mounting anxiety over the North's additional provocations along with the deepening friction between South Korea and China over the deployment of a US missile defense system called THAAD.

China has been stepping up its retaliation against South Korea mostly in the business sector as Seoul and Washington are going ahead with their plan to install a THAAD battery on the peninsula to better counter threats from the North. Beijing has objected to the plan, saying its powerful radar system will hurt its strategic security interests.

The official said that THAAD and China's retaliation against South Korea will be one of the major topics that Tillerson will discuss with Foreign Minister Yun when they meet on Friday. (Yonhap)