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The defense ministers of the United States and the Republic of Korea have decided to significantly strengthen deterrence against North Korea in response to a series of North Korean provocations.

It was agreed to deploy U.S. falling assets on the Korean Peninsula at a level equivalent to the regular deployment, and to hold an annual exercise to prepare for North Korea's use of nuclear weapons.



Correspondent Yunsu Kim from Washington.



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The 54th Korea-US Security Council held at the US Department of Defense focused on strengthening deterrence against North Korea.



Defense Minister Lee Jong-seop and US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin first agreed to deploy US strategic assets to the Korean Peninsula at a level equivalent to regular deployment.



[Lloyd Austin/Secretary of Defense: It is not a permanent deployment of new strategic assets, but we will see strategic assets routinely carried around by sending out an appropriate deterrence message against North Korea.]



For this purpose, expansion assuming North Korea's nuclear use scenario We have decided to make the practice of deterrence a regular basis every year, and to resume large-scale combined outdoor maneuvers next year in conjunction with the combined exercise.



The Korea-U.S. Missile Response Policy Council will also be established to respond to the North Korean missile threat. 



As North Korea's nuclear threat and provocations are intensifying, they also agreed to revise the deterrence strategy tailored to North Korea before next year's ROK-U.S. Security Council meeting.



In a joint statement, the two ministers again sent a strong warning to North Korea.



[Lee Jong-seop/Secretary of Defense: If North Korea uses nuclear weapons, it has been confirmed that the Kim Jong-un regime will come to an end by the overwhelming and decisive response of the alliance.]



Meanwhile, the US State Department is a Singaporean who is known to have been involved in North Korean oil smuggling. 7.1 billion won for the first time as an international bounty, intensifying pressure on North Korea.