John Prescott is travelling to Seoul for talks covering the North Korea crisis.
The Deputy Prime Minister is due to meet senior South Korean ministers amid heightened tensions in the region since its northern neighbour's nuclear weapons test this month.
Mr Prescott is in Japan where he met new prime minister Shinzo Abe, after which he was scheduled to fly to the South Korean capital.
The deputy premier is on a tour of the Far East which will also take in Malaysia and China.
The series of talks is expected to cover moves to curb climate change and Muslim extremism, as well as the perceived new threat from North Korea.
There is speculation that the communist state is planning a second nuclear test, despite worldwide condemnation of its first on October 9.
North Korea has described the UN's retaliatory sanctions as a declaration of war while Russia has warned that Washington's refusal to engage in talks with Pyongyang has encouraged the latter's nuclear ambitions.
Mr Prescott is due to meet South Korea's foreign minister Ban Ki Moon, the secretary general-designate of the UN.
Mr Prescott arrived in Japan on Monday, where he met senior ministers in the Tokyo administration, discussing issues linked to his Cabinet committees' work.
After a number of days in Seoul, Mr Prescott will travel to Kuala Lumpur to meet his Malaysian counterpart for discussions about interfaith community issues. His last stop will be a brief visit to China.
