Minister of National Defense Han Minkoo (right) and his U.S. counterpart Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter shake hands during the 47th Korea-U.S. Security Consultative Meeting, held in Seoul on Nov. 2.
The Korean defense minister and the U.S. secretary of defense have had in-depth discussions on issues involving national defense, space and cyberspace, and how to enhance cooperation on policies against North Korea’s growing nuclear weapons threat.
The discussions came during the 47th annual Security Consultative Meeting (SCM) between Korea and the U.S., held in Seoul on Nov. 2.
Minister of National Defense Han Minkoo and his U.S. counterpart Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter agreed that they would not tolerate any aggression or military provocations by North Korea, and that this was based on a strong, sound alliance between the two nations.
The two sides approved the implementation of step-by-step guidance that would cover “Korea-U.S. Alliance Comprehensive Counter-Missile Operations” and, furthermore, agreed to make more efforts to stick to the guidance more effectively worldwide.
Minister of National Defense Han Minkoo (right) and his U.S. counterpart Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter hold a joint press conference following the SCM meeting on Nov. 2.
At a joint press conference following the meeting, Minister Han stressed that, “We will work closely to grow our strong alliance into a more comprehensive strategic one, one that will serve as the linchpin for peace and stability not only across the peninsula and the Asia-Pacific, but also across the world as a whole.”
In response, the U.S. secretary of defense said, “Today, I’ve witnessed the bilateral alliance be retained as strongly as armor. I would say the least likely thing to change over time is our partnership and firm determination to grow together and work together in deterring North Korean threats.”
By Sohn JiAe
Korea.net Staff Writer
Photos: Ministry of National Defense
jiae5853@korea.kr
