US-ROK Defense Ministers Talk... "Strong Response to Any North Korean Provocation"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Gong Byung-sun] The defense ministers of South Korea and the United States expressed their intention to respond strongly to North Korea's provocations and discussed joint response measures.

According to the Ministry of National Defense on the 4th, Defense Minister Lee Jong-seop, during a phone call with U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, defined North Korea's recent intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) launch as a clear violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions. Furthermore, he condemned it strongly as a serious provocation that gravely threatens peace and stability not only on the Korean Peninsula but also in the international community.

They also agreed to strengthen cooperation against North Korea's continuous provocations. The two ministers shared assessments regarding North Korea's recent missile launches and the possibility of additional provocations, and agreed to promptly implement jointly prepared countermeasures under close coordination. They also confirmed that the alliance possesses the capability and readiness to precisely strike the origin points of North Korea's provocations. On the same day, South Korea and the U.S. conducted joint training involving combined strike squadron flights and Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) launches.

The two ministers agreed to respond strongly to any form of North Korean provocation through the deployment of U.S. strategic assets. The Ministry of National Defense stated, "Secretary Austin reiterated the United States' ironclad defense treaty commitment to provide extended deterrence to South Korea by utilizing military capabilities across all categories."

The ministers plan to meet again during the upcoming 54th Security Consultative Meeting (SCM) in Washington, D.C., to continue discussions on effective ways to strengthen U.S. extended deterrence.

At around 7:23 a.m. that day, North Korea launched one IRBM from the Mupyong-ri area in Jagang Province. The IRBM flew approximately 4,500 km, passing over Japanese airspace. Minister Lee stated at the National Assembly's National Defense Committee audit, "The security situation on the Korean Peninsula is very severe," and added, "We are enhancing the execution capability of extended deterrence through close South Korea-U.S. cooperation."