The defense ministers of the United States and South Korea held a meeting in Washington, D.C., and agreed to strengthen cooperation in dealing with North Korea, which is accelerating its nuclear and missile development.
U.S. Secretary of Defense Austin and South Korean Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup met in Washington on the 29th and exchanged views on how to deal with North Korea.
At the beginning, Secretary of Defense Austin said, "The Kim Jong-un administration is conducting the most active ballistic missile test in history. I would like to discuss how the two countries can strengthen deterrence."
In response, Lee said that he wanted to use this meeting as an opportunity to strengthen "extended deterrence" by the United States' nuclear forces and other means, and added, "The more provocations North Korea makes, the stronger the alliance between the two countries will be." We will be strong,” he stressed.
According to South Korea's announcement, the talks confirmed the response to North Korea's seventh nuclear test, as well as the expansion of the scale of joint military exercises and training between the two countries.
In addition, according to the US side's announcement, the two countries also agreed on the importance of cooperation among the three countries, including Japan.
The United States and South Korea plan to conduct field maneuver exercises in conjunction with the joint military exercises scheduled to be held next month, and they intend to strengthen their cooperation in dealing with North Korea, which is accelerating its nuclear and missile development. I am emphasizing.