Defense chief, US envoy discuss joint efforts to deter N. Korean threats

Defense Minister Shin Won-sik met with US Ambassador to South Korea Philip Goldberg on Tuesday for talks on regional security and joint efforts to deter North Korea's military threats, Seoul's defense ministry said.

During the meeting, the two sides shared the view that only a solid combined defense posture can deter North Korea's provocations as they discussed the implications of the recent conflict in Israel on South Korea's security, according to the ministry.

They noted the solidarity of the bilateral alliance is "more firm than ever" and that the credibility of the US extended deterrence commitment has been strengthened through the recent deployment of its strategic assets to the Korean Peninsula, it said.

The US military sent a B-52H nuclear-capable bomber to South Korea last week, and the USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier to a naval base in Busan, 320 kilometers southeast of Seoul, earlier this month.

Extended deterrence refers to the US commitment to using the full range of its military capabilities to defend its ally.

The two sides also shared the view that North Korea's nuclear and missile development programs pose threats not only to the peninsula but also to the international community, stressing the need for international coordination to curb such threats, the ministry said. (Yonhap)