In South Korea, US Defense Secretary William Cohen has appealed to Seoul and Pyongyang to lower tensions on the Korean peninsula. He said this could be done through what he called "government-to-government dialogue."

Cohen held security talks with South Korea's President Kim Dae-Jung and other government leaders at the end of a busy four-nation Asian tour.

Before ending his 10-day Asian tour, the US defense secretary again stated America's commitment towards ending the conflict on the Korean peninsula.

Speaking at a press conference in Seoul, Cohen said he had discussed with South Korean leaders about the possible expansion of the North-South contact.

He said: "We also agreed that government-to-government dialogue between Seoul and Pyongyang is a necessary condition to lower tension ... to do anything other than pursue the path of peace."

Earlier on Saturday, Cohen met with South Korean President Kim Dae-Jung as well as South Korean Defence Minister, Cho Seong-tae. The US Defense Secretary was greeted by dozens of anti-US protesters in front of the Defense Ministry.

On the last leg of his tour in Asia, Cohen also visited US troops at Camp Stanley near the North Korean border. The US now maintains more than 30,000 troops at dozens of military bases and installations throughout South Korea.