S. Korea, U.S. defense chiefs reaffirm THAAD deployment plan

한미국방 첫 통화서 '사드배치' 확인…中반발 등 변수 차단

U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis is visiting Seoul this week.
Ahead of the trip he held long phone conversations with his South Korean counterpart.
Connie Kim shares with us what was discussed.
The defense chiefs of South Korea and the United States have reaffirmed their plan to bring the U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system to the Korean peninsula in response to North Korea's missile threats.
Seoul's defense ministry said Defense Minister Han Min-koo and his U.S. counterpart, James Mattis, held telephone talks on Tuesday, during which they expressed serious concern over North Korea's escalating threat and acknowledged the need to strengthen cooperation on North Korea policies.
Han and Mattis also said there's a possibility North Korea could launch a strategic or tactical provocation as it could misjudge the transition of power in Seoul and Washington.
During the thirty-minute conversation, the two also agreed to uphold Washington's provision of extended deterrence against North Korea's provocations... and to maintain a strong military readiness posture to respond immediately in an emergency situation.
Pyongyang has been ratcheting up tensions in the weeks since Kim Jong-un announced in his New Year's address that the regime is in the final stages of test-firing an intercontinental ballistic missile.

Acknowledging the growing threat from the North, Mattis' first overseas trip as defense secretary is to South Korea and Japan this week... to shore up relations with the two U.S. allies.
In Seoul, he will be meeting with Acting President and Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn and National Security Office chief Kim Kwan-jin on the first day of his two-day visit, followed by talks with South Korea's defense minister the next day to discuss North Korea's missile programs and ways to boost the Seoul-Washington alliance.


"South Korea will be the first stop on Mattis' trip... and Seoul is hoping the visit will allow the two allies to re-commit to their mutual defense treaty... and further solidify their defenses against North Korea's threats.
Connie Kim, Arirang News."

Visit ‘Arirang News’ Official Pages