ROUGH CUT (NO REPORTER NARRATION)<br/> <br />STORY: U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry met South Korean President Park Geun-hye in Seoul on Thursday (February 13) in the first leg of a trip that includes stops in Beijing, Jakarta and Abu Dhabi.<br/> <br />Kerry landed at Seoul Air Base on Thursday afternoon for a two-day state visit.<br/> <br />Both are expected to discuss ways to expand cooperation on regional and global issues and reaffirm the strength of their alliance.<br/> <br />Kerry is also scheduled to meet South Korean Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se later in the day.<br/> <br />The visit was made ahead of the annual military drills by the South and the United States, which North Korea calls a rehearsal for war. The United States has about 28,500 troops stationed in South Korea.<br/> <br />South Korea has rejected a demand by its northern neighbour to postpone this month's military drills to avoid it overlapping with planned reunions of families separated during the Korean War.<br/> <br />Kerry will leave Seoul f
