First Official Communication Between Defense Chiefs Since Launch of Lee Jaemyung Administration
Joint Response to North Korean Threats... Agreement to Deepen Extended Deterrence
The defense ministers of South Korea and the United States held their first joint phone call, reaffirming the strength of the ROK-US alliance and their combined defense posture. They also discussed the modernization of the alliance and cooperation in shipbuilding and maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO).
The Ministry of National Defense announced that Minister Ahn Kyubaek held his first joint phone call with US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth on the morning of July 31. This call marks the first official communication between the defense chiefs of both countries since the inauguration of the Lee Jaemyung administration.
During the call, Minister Ahn stated, "As the first defense minister of the government of national sovereignty, I feel a great sense of responsibility to further develop the achievements of the ROK-US alliance over the past 70 years." He added, "The ROK-US alliance is a blood-forged alliance and is an inseparable relationship, like the two axles of a wheel."
Minister Ahn also expressed his hope to deepen and advance the ROK-US alliance into a "future-oriented comprehensive strategic alliance" through close cooperation with Secretary Hegseth.
According to the Ministry of National Defense, Secretary Hegseth reaffirmed the United States' ironclad commitment to the defense of South Korea. In addition, the two defense ministers agreed to maintain close coordination and to deepen extended deterrence cooperation in order to respond to North Korea's threats, including the illegal military cooperation between North Korea and Russia.
Minister Ahn and Secretary Hegseth also reached a consensus to continue consultations to mutually modernize the ROK-US alliance amid the changing regional security environment. They agreed to further expand alliance cooperation in various fields, including shipbuilding, maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO), and advanced science and technology.
The Ministry of National Defense stated, "Both ministers agreed that this joint phone call was an important opportunity to broaden mutual understanding and to further deepen and advance the ROK-US alliance." The ministry added, "They agreed to meet as soon as possible to continue in-depth discussions on ways to strengthen the alliance."
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