Acting defense minister, US defense chief reaffirm alliance regardless of politics in phone talks
Acting Defense Minister Kim Seon-ho speaks during a paliamentarian session at the National Assembly in Seoul, Dec. 9. Yonhap
Acting Defense Minister Kim Seon-ho and U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin reaffirmed Friday that the alliance between their nations remains "ironclad" regardless of political situations, Seoul's defense ministry said, in the wake of the short-lived Dec. 3 martial law imposition.
During their phone talks, they discussed the security situation, their combined defense posture and policy cooperation against North Korean threats while reaffirming the bilateral alliance is a linchpin for peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula, the ministry said.
Kim thanked Washington for its support of the alliance regardless of the domestic situation and emphasized ongoing efforts by the military to deter North Korean threats in a stable manner on the back of the combined defense posture.
Austin stressed that the U.S. commitment to South Korea's security is ironclad and vowed continued efforts to maintain the alliance.
On the back of the South Korea-U.S. alliance, both sides reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening extended deterrence through the Nuclear Consultative Group, as well as trilateral security cooperation with Japan, according to the ministry.
In a separate statement, the Pentagon said the defense chiefs discussed "their shared focus on ensuring the combined U.S.-ROK defense posture remains strong and ready to respond to any external provocations or threats."
"They agreed to remain in close contact and emphasized their shared commitment to the democratic institutions and processes of the ROK and to ensuring communication among defense and military officials at all levels," it added. (Yonhap)