Speaking by phone earlier today, the defense ministers of South Korea and the United States moved to reaffirm that they will respond strongly to any provocation from North Korea.
South Korean Minister of National Defense Kim Kwan Jin and U.S. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel spoke at 7AM (KST), whereupon they agreed that North Korea must bear the weight of responsibility for the current situation, according to a later readout on the conversation provided by the Ministry of National Defense in Seoul.
They also discussed the two country’s combined plan to deal with the threat of provocations, saying that a robust, effective response could be assured. They also noted that North Korea’s development of nuclear weapons and weapons of mass destruction (WMD) are one of the greatest challenges to global, regional and Korean Peninsula security, and cannot be tolerated.
The Ministry of National Defense explained, “Secretary Hagel reaffirmed the U.S.’ commitment to the defense of South Korea by every possible military means, including its nuclear umbrella, conventional strike capability and missile defense.
“The two ministers congratulated one another on one inauguration and another re-election, and promised to continue close dialogue in the future.”
