Defense chiefs of S. Korea and U.S. hold phone talks on recent N. Korea-Russia ties

한미 국방장관 공조통화 ’북러논의’, 첫 한미 외교장관회담도 워싱턴서 28일 개최 Defense chiefs of Seoul and Washington talked via phone this morning, --having reaffirmed the alliance amid Pyongyang’s continued hostility. Similar talks are expected when foreign minister Cho Tae-yul meets his U.S. counterpart in Washington in the coming hours. Our correspondent Kim Jung-sil reports. With North Korea continuing its military provocations, South Korea and the U.S. are enhancing their defense and security cooperation. On Wednesday morning (KST), Defense Minister Shin Won-sik held phone talks with U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin. The two discussed shared defense and security priorities on the Korean Peninsula and underscored the strength of the ROK-U.S. alliance. The South Korean defense ministry released a statement saying the two defense chiefs reviewed the security situation on the Korean Peninsula while reaffirming the alliance’s strength. The top priorities were Pyongyang’s recent missile launches, and its artillery barrage fired into the sea last month. In early January, The North fired hundreds of artillery shells into the West Sea near the maritime border between the South and North. The defense chiefs also discussed illegal arms transfers between Pyongyang and Moscow, noting that strengthened military cooperation between North Korea and Russia threatens peace and stability not only on the Korean Peninsula but also in the international arena. They agreed to take strict measures against the threats posed by recent Moscow-Pyongyang ties. Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul will meet with his U.S. counterpart, Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Washington on Wednesday, local time. The two will likely discuss issues including economic security while also touching upon extended deterrence against North Korea’s nuclear threats. Cho is also expected to ask the Biden administration to listen to South Korean companies’ concerns about the Inflation Reduction and Chips Acts. Kim Jung-sil, Arirang News. #SouthKorea #UnitedStates #ShinWonsik #LloydAustin #대한민국 #미국 #국방부장관 #신원식 #로이드오스틴 #공조_통화 #Arirang_News #아리랑뉴스 📣 Facebook : 📣 Twitter : 📣 Homepage : 2024-02-28, 18:00 (KST)