US-ROK Defense Ministers Discuss North Korea Nuclear Response "Close Coordination on Future Provocations"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoo Je-hoon] The defense ministers of South Korea and the United States met in Singapore on the 11th to discuss response measures in the event of a North Korean nuclear test.

On the morning of the same day, Defense Minister Lee Jong-seop met with U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin at the Shangri-La Hotel in Singapore, where the ongoing Asia Security Conference was being held. This meeting took place amid North Korean State Affairs Commission Chairman Kim Jong-un mentioning the right to self-defense and strengthening defense capabilities at the Workers' Party plenary session.

According to the U.S. Department of Defense, the two ministers discussed North Korea's recent missile launches during the meeting. They agreed to closely coordinate responses to future provocations by North Korea and also mentioned that trilateral cooperation with Japan possesses strong deterrence.

The U.S. Department of Defense further explained, "The two ministers exchanged views on the Indo-Pacific security environment and confirmed the importance of maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait," adding, "Secretary Austin also expressed his gratitude to Minister Lee for South Korea's continued support for Ukraine."

Meanwhile, in the afternoon, Minister Lee is scheduled to hold a trilateral defense ministers' meeting with Secretary Austin and Japanese Defense Minister Kishi Nobuo. This is the first time in about three years since 2019 that the defense ministers of the three countries have gathered in one place.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.