Acting defense chief reaffirms S. Korea-US alliance in talks with acting US envoy

Acting Defense Minister Kim Seon-ho, second from left, meets acting U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Joseph Yun, right, at Kim's office in central Seoul, Jan. 24, in this photo provided by the defense ministry. Yonhap

Acting Defense Minister Kim Seon-ho on Friday reaffirmed the South Korea-U.S. alliance during his talks with acting U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Joseph Yun, Seoul's defense ministry said.

Kim met Yun at his ministry's headquarters in central Seoul, marking the first talks between the two sides since the U.S. envoy took office earlier this month.

"(Kim) emphasized that close coordination between the diplomatic and security authorities of South Korea and the United States serves as the foundation to deterring North Korea and maintaining regional peace," the ministry said in a release.

The two sides reaffirmed that the South Korea-U.S. alliance remains steadfast, and Yun expressed the unchanging U.S. support for the alliance, according to the ministry. (Yonhap)