Defense Ministers of the Republic of Korea and the United States met for the first time in over a month... "Expansion of joint exercises"

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The defense ministers of the two countries held a meeting and discussed ways to respond to the North Korean threat.

It was agreed to expand the South Korea-U.S. joint exercise scheduled for next month, and also to open a high-level consultative body, which had been suspended for more than four years, in September.

Correspondent Yunsu Kim from Washington.

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The defense chiefs of South Korea and the United States met again after more than a month since the Singapore Asian Security Conference in June.

As concerns about North Korea's nuclear test continue, discussions have focused on deterrence strategies.

First of all, the two Ministers decided to resume the Extended Deterrence Strategy Council meeting in September where the South Korean and U.S. Vice Foreign Ministers and Defense Ministers meet.

It has been over 4 years since January 2018.

It is also agreed to conduct an extended deterrence training exercise within this year, a military exercise to respond to the North Korean nuclear program.

[Lee Jong-seop / Minister of Defense: The extended deterrence strategy consultative body will be a meeting that can send a very meaningful message at a higher level from the policy level, and the TTX (extended deterrence means operation exercise) is meaningful at the military level. It has

been agreed to expand the South Korea-US joint exercise scheduled for next month by integrating it with the Eulji exercise.

They also agreed to significantly strengthen the deterrence posture, including the deployment of U.S. strategic assets such as aircraft carriers in the Korean Peninsula.

U.S. Defense Secretary Austin has promised to provide maximum extended deterrence to counter the North Korean threat.

[Lloyd Austin/Secretary of Defense: The United States will provide extended deterrence to South Korea by mobilizing a full range of defense capabilities, including nuclear power, conventional weapons, and missile defense.]

As North Korea has recently strongly opposed the ROK-US military exercise There is also growing concern that additional provocations such as nuclear tests may be launched in the wake of the joint exercise to be held next month.

(Video coverage: Oh Jeong-sik, video editing: Lee Seung-yeol)