President Moon Jae-in holds talks with Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff Joseph Dunford at Cheong Wa Dae on Aug. 14.
By Sohn JiAe
Photos = Cheong Wa Dae
President Moon Jae-in greeted Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff Joseph Dunford on Aug. 14 at Cheong Wa Dae, agreeing that the two countries would continue to work together, based on the robust Korea-U.S. alliance, to address crises on the Korean Peninsula, such as North Korean nuclear weapons.
President Moon said that the current security situation on the peninsula couldn’t be graver, because of the Northern regime’s enhanced nuclear missile capabilities. “Let’s firmly respond to further provocations by the North based on the sound Korea-U.S. combined defense readiness.”
The president urged the North to stop its threats and to return to dialogue with the South to ease tensions across the region.
President Moon Jae-in shakes hands with Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff Joseph Dunford at Cheong Wa Dae on Aug. 14.
The U.S. military officer stressed that his country would maintain its unwavering security pledge to defend South Korea amid this serious situation on the peninsula. The U.S. military prioritizes efforts to put both diplomatic and economic pressure on the regime, with the goal of denuclearization on the peninsula, he said. “In the case that these efforts might be bogged down, we are preparing for other military options,” he said.
The chairman then reaffirmed that any response and action that the U.S. would make would be done in close cooperation with Seoul and would be part of the strong alliance.
jiae5853@korea.kr
