In a blatant display of three can play at that game, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is assuming the role of America's chief tourist in Seoul, South Korea, this week. Ensuring he's taking every opportunity to accumulate airline miles, Blinken will be chatting it up on everything from security to the latest K-drama obsessions with South Korean officials, all while indulging in a constant supply of bibimbap and soju. Upon landing late Wednesday, after an exhausting meet-and-greet session with the G7 foreign ministers in Tokyo and the equivalent of a "speed-dating" tour of the Middle East, Blinken stepped off the plane looking significantly less jet-lagged than any human being should be. It seems the prospect of dining on Korean BBQ is enough to keep even the most exhausted diplomats in high spirits. This marks the Secretary of State's first official visit to South Korea since President Yoon Suk Yeol took office last year. Blinken is scheduled to lock diplomatic horns with his South Korean counterpart, Park Jin, a meeting that observers predict will be as loaded with tension as the World Cup qualifier between the two nations. Park, still said to be smarting from Blinken's decision to forego a "Seoul" necktie in favor of an apparently non-partisan black one, is keeping his conversation starters close to his chest. The agenda is expected to focus primarily on security, specifically in light of North Korea embarking on a beautiful friendship with Russia. The North Korea-Russia alliance, a bromance being dubbed "Pyongyang Unchained" by international observers, has raised eyebrows and blood pressures alike in the global arena. The recent escalation of their militarized waltz together has thrown more than a wrench in the works of international relations. Whether Blinken's antics as a super tourist will be effective in swaying South Korea's opinion remains to be seen. In the meantime, he is leaving no stone unturned, or more accurately, no piece of kimchi uneaten, in his efforts to charm the nation. In conclusion, as Blinken gets set to don his American-flag themed swimsuit for an obligatory dip in the Han River, the world watches with bated breath to see whether a taste for Korean cuisine will be enough to counter the growing affections between North Korea and Russia. As Blinken would know, sometimes, the way to an ally's heart is through its stomach.