By Yi Whan-woo
Presidents Moon Jae-in and Donald Trump never discussed a naval blockade against North Korea during their phone call on Thursday, officials from Cheong Wa Dae said Friday.
"The issue of a naval blockade was never discussed during their phone conversation," a Cheong Wa Dae official told reporters. He also said they did not discuss any military steps against the North.
The denial came after Defense Minister Song Young-moo said during a session of the National Assembly that South Korea cannot help but consider a naval blockade if such a proposal is made. The presidential office dismissed Song's remark as a "personal view."
While the two leaders did not discuss any military options against the North, they reaffirmed their efforts to enhance South Korea's defense capabilities against North Korea through acquisition of advanced U.S. military assets.
They revisited a plan for the Seoul-Washington consultation on South Korea's acquisition and development of U.S. weapons during their phone call, Thursday.
The conversation took place to discuss joint measures to be taken in response to North Korea's intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) test, Wednesday.
It also came after Moon and Trump agreed on beginning consultation of U.S. arms acquisition during Trump's stopover in Seoul in November as part of his five-nation Asia trip.
According to Cheong Wa Dae, Moon thanked Trump for his "wholehearted support" on South Korea's purchase of advanced U.S. military equipment to help the country bolster its self-defense capabilities.
Moon also noted even beginning consultation on the U.S. arms acquisition can send a "big message" to North Korea.
Trump reaffirmed his support for South Korea's self-defense plan, according to Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Park Soo-hyun.
Trump reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to protect South Korea and agreed with Moon on curbing North Korea's military provocations based on "the unmatched military capabilities" of the two allies.
The two leaders vowed to maintain sanctions and pressure on Pyongyang while working closely with the other countries to maximize sanctions and pressure.
Moon, however, said he is uncertain whether the Kim Jong-un regime has mastered tricky technologies concerning ICBMs, including atmospheric re-entry and miniaturization of nuclear warheads.
Several U.S. missile experts believe North Korea now has a missile that can strike anywhere in the U.S.
The presidential house said Trump did not comment specifically on Moon's view.
In November, Trump said South Korea will be buying "billions of dollars" worth of U.S. weapons, adding the equipment is something "which they want, and which they need."
Among the possible equipment are E-8C joint surveillance and target attack radar system (JSTARS) aircraft, ship-based Standard Missile-3 (SM-3) interceptors and P-8A maritime patrol aircraft.
The JSTARS uses multi-mode, side-looking radar to detect, track and classify moving ground vehicles in all conditions deep behind enemy lines.
SM-3s are designed to shoot down incoming missiles at altitudes of 150 kilometers to 500 kilometers, which is much higher than the U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery's intercept altitude of 40 kilometers to 150 kilometers. The battery is already deployed in South Korea.
The P-8A Poseidon is designed for long-range anti-submarine warfare and anti-surface warfare, as well as intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions.
To build self-reliant military forces, the Moon administration has been stepping up efforts to increase its defense expenditure.
According to the Defense Agency for Technology and Quality, a research institute under the Defense Acquisition Program Administration, Friday, South Korea was ranked 10th among the countries with the highest military spending.
The country spent $36.8 billion on defense in 2016. The U.S. spent the most with $611 billion, China with 215 billion, Russia with $69.2 billion and Saudi Arabia with $63.7 billion.
Seoul seeks to raise its defense spending by 6.9 percent to 43.1 trillion won ($39.7 billion) in 2018. This will be the highest increase in the past nine years.
It also plans to keep the rate at an average of average 5.8 percent until 2021, meaning the defense budget will increase to 50.4 trillion won by then.
Some 4.3 trillion won out of the planned 2018 defense spending is to be used to cope with North Korea' nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction.
The program includes a three-pronged system _ the Kill Chain, the Korean Air and Missile Defense (KAMD) and the Korea Massive Punishment and Retaliation (KMPR) plan.
Presidents Moon Jae-in and Donald Trump never discussed a naval blockade against North Korea during their phone call on Thursday, officials from Cheong Wa Dae said Friday.
"The issue of a naval blockade was never discussed during their phone conversation," a Cheong Wa Dae official told reporters. He also said they did not discuss any military steps against the North.
The denial came after Defense Minister Song Young-moo said during a session of the National Assembly that South Korea cannot help but consider a naval blockade if such a proposal is made. The presidential office dismissed Song's remark as a "personal view."
While the two leaders did not discuss any military options against the North, they reaffirmed their efforts to enhance South Korea's defense capabilities against North Korea through acquisition of advanced U.S. military assets.
They revisited a plan for the Seoul-Washington consultation on South Korea's acquisition and development of U.S. weapons during their phone call, Thursday.
The conversation took place to discuss joint measures to be taken in response to North Korea's intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) test, Wednesday.
It also came after Moon and Trump agreed on beginning consultation of U.S. arms acquisition during Trump's stopover in Seoul in November as part of his five-nation Asia trip.
According to Cheong Wa Dae, Moon thanked Trump for his "wholehearted support" on South Korea's purchase of advanced U.S. military equipment to help the country bolster its self-defense capabilities.
Moon also noted even beginning consultation on the U.S. arms acquisition can send a "big message" to North Korea.
Trump reaffirmed his support for South Korea's self-defense plan, according to Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Park Soo-hyun.
Trump reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to protect South Korea and agreed with Moon on curbing North Korea's military provocations based on "the unmatched military capabilities" of the two allies.
The two leaders vowed to maintain sanctions and pressure on Pyongyang while working closely with the other countries to maximize sanctions and pressure.
Moon, however, said he is uncertain whether the Kim Jong-un regime has mastered tricky technologies concerning ICBMs, including atmospheric re-entry and miniaturization of nuclear warheads.
Several U.S. missile experts believe North Korea now has a missile that can strike anywhere in the U.S.
The presidential house said Trump did not comment specifically on Moon's view.
In November, Trump said South Korea will be buying "billions of dollars" worth of U.S. weapons, adding the equipment is something "which they want, and which they need."
Among the possible equipment are E-8C joint surveillance and target attack radar system (JSTARS) aircraft, ship-based Standard Missile-3 (SM-3) interceptors and P-8A maritime patrol aircraft.
The JSTARS uses multi-mode, side-looking radar to detect, track and classify moving ground vehicles in all conditions deep behind enemy lines.
SM-3s are designed to shoot down incoming missiles at altitudes of 150 kilometers to 500 kilometers, which is much higher than the U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery's intercept altitude of 40 kilometers to 150 kilometers. The battery is already deployed in South Korea.
The P-8A Poseidon is designed for long-range anti-submarine warfare and anti-surface warfare, as well as intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions.
To build self-reliant military forces, the Moon administration has been stepping up efforts to increase its defense expenditure.
According to the Defense Agency for Technology and Quality, a research institute under the Defense Acquisition Program Administration, Friday, South Korea was ranked 10th among the countries with the highest military spending.
The country spent $36.8 billion on defense in 2016. The U.S. spent the most with $611 billion, China with 215 billion, Russia with $69.2 billion and Saudi Arabia with $63.7 billion.
Seoul seeks to raise its defense spending by 6.9 percent to 43.1 trillion won ($39.7 billion) in 2018. This will be the highest increase in the past nine years.
It also plans to keep the rate at an average of average 5.8 percent until 2021, meaning the defense budget will increase to 50.4 trillion won by then.
Some 4.3 trillion won out of the planned 2018 defense spending is to be used to cope with North Korea' nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction.
The program includes a three-pronged system _ the Kill Chain, the Korean Air and Missile Defense (KAMD) and the Korea Massive Punishment and Retaliation (KMPR) plan.
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