[3rd Report] US and South Korea Defense Ministers' Phone Talk... Unable to Decide on Joint Military Exercise Implementation

Joint training to begin internally from the 10th of next month
Defense phase 1 from the 17th, counterattack phase 2 from the 24th

On the morning of the 21st at around 7 a.m., Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo held a phone conference with U.S. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper to discuss current issues such as defense cost-sharing negotiations and the transfer of wartime operational control.

[Asia Economy Reporter Yang Nak-gyu] Although the defense ministers of South Korea and the United States held a phone conference, it is reported that they were unable to reach a conclusion regarding the upcoming joint South Korea-U.S. command post exercise scheduled for next month.

According to the Ministry of National Defense on the 21st, Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo held a phone call with U.S. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper around 7 a.m. that day, during which they discussed issues such as defense cost-sharing negotiations and the transfer of wartime operational control, reaffirming the strong South Korea-U.S. alliance and the close cooperation system between the two countries' defense authorities. The two ministers shared the security situation on the Korean Peninsula and agreed to continue supporting diplomatic efforts for North Korea's complete denuclearization and the establishment of permanent peace on the peninsula.

In particular, regarding North Korea's recent mention of a "potential military threat" at a closed meeting of the Central Military Commission and its reaffirmation of "strengthening war deterrence," it is believed that they discussed developments within North Korea and cooperation measures between South Korea and the U.S. The two sides also agreed to maintain the readiness and combined defense posture of the South Korea-U.S. alliance to respond to the fluid security environment on the Korean Peninsula.

However, it is reported that no conclusion was reached on the timing and method of the joint exercise scheduled for next month. Internally, the military has tentatively decided to start a crisis management staff training (CMST), which serves as a preliminary exercise for the joint training, from the 10th of next month; the first phase defense training from the 17th; and the second phase counterattack training from the 24th. The operational commands of each branch and their subordinate units have already completed preparations for the joint command post exercise (CPX) and have begun operational planning education. This exercise will be conducted in the form of a war game using computer simulations without actual troop or equipment mobilization.

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