Seoul, South Korea - Defense Minister Shin Won-sik convened with U.S. Ambassador to South Korea, Philip Goldberg, on Tuesday to discuss regional security and combined efforts to counter North Korean military threats, announced Seoul's defense ministry.
According to a new release by Yonhap News Agency, during the meeting, both parties agreed that a strong combined defense posture is essential for deterring provocations from North Korea. They also discussed the impact of the recent conflict in Israel on South Korea's security landscape. The bilateral alliance between South Korea and the United States was acknowledged as "more firm than ever," bolstered by the U.S. recently deploying strategic assets to the Korean Peninsula.
The U.S. military had dispatched a B-52H nuclear-capable bomber to South Korea last week and positioned the USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier at a naval base in Busan, located 320 kilometers southeast of Seoul, earlier this month. The term "extended deterrence" denotes the U.S. commitment to employ the full spectrum of its military capabilities to protect its allies.
Additionally, both sides recognized that North Korea's ongoing nuclear and missile development programs pose risks not only to the Korean Peninsula but also to the broader international community. This led to an emphasis on the need for international coordination to mitigate such threats.