US Secretary of State Antony Blinken insisted during a visit to Tokyo on Tuesday that ties with Japan were stronger than ever, days after President Joe Biden blocked Nippon Steel's takeover of US Steel.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken lauded the close economic and security partnership between the US and Japan after a controversial move by US President Joe Biden to label Japan’s Nippon Steel Corp. as a national security risk.

By David Brunnstrom, Simon Lewis, Trevor Hunnicutt and Tim Kelly WASHINGTON/TOKYO (Reuters) -U.S. President Joe Biden's decision to block Nippon Steel's $14.9 billion bid for U.S. Steel cast a shadow over Secretary of State Antony Blinken's visit to Japan on Tuesday for farewell meetings with Washington's most important ally in Asia.

Antony Blinken traveled to South Korea as an affirmation of continued support for the East Asian nation as it struggles to navigate a historic constitutional crisis.

The U.S. secretary of state aimed to show that his country stood by South Korea as it grapples with a political crisis, and as Donald J. Trump returns to power.

South Korean investigators will seek an extension of a warrant to arrest impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol, as the visiting US Secretary of State reaffirmed confidence in the key Asian ally's handling of the political turmoil.