By Patricia Zengerle

WASHINGTON U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is cutting short a trip to Asia and will return to the United States on Thursday, a spokeswoman for the Democratic Senate leader said on Tuesday, responding to events in Israel.

The group led by Schumer, who met with Chinese President Xi Jinping in China, will move up a meeting with South Korean President Soon Suk Yeol. The group also had been expected to visit Japan.

"Following very productive meetings in China — including with President Xi – and in light of the tragic events unfolding in Israel, the bipartisan members of Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s congressional delegation are moving up their meeting with South Korean President Yoon to Wednesday and will return to the US on Thursday. Leader Schumer will be back in New York Thursday evening," the spokeswoman said in an emailed statement.

Schumer is the highest-ranking Jewish elected official in the United States. He will be back home in New York on Thursday evening, will receive a classified briefing and updates, attend community events, go to Shabbat and spend time reflecting with his family.

(Reporting by Patricia Zengerle; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)