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photo source, News 1
Defense Minister Lee Jong-seop attends the Asian Security Conference (Shangri-La Dialogue) during a bilateral meeting with US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin at the Shangri-La Hotel in Singapore on the 11th (local time).
The defense ministers of South Korea and the United States met in Singapore on the 11th to discuss ways to strengthen the combined defense posture and countermeasures against North Korea’s nuclear test.
This morning, Minister Lee Jong-seop and Minister Lloyd Austin met at the Shangri-La Hotel in Singapore, where the Asian Security Conference (Shangri-La Dialogue) was held.
After the meeting, Minister Lee said, “We had an overall discussion at a comprehensive level to enhance the execution power of extended deterrence.”
“We evaluated the recent trends in general, including preparations for the 7th nuclear test, and discussed joint response plans,” he said.
The two ministers seem to have coordinated measures to respond with expanded deterrence, such as the deployment of strategic assets by the US military, if North Korea proceeds with additional provocations such as a nuclear test.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un reaffirmed the principle of “strengthening” and strengthening national defense capabilities by referring to the right of self-defense at the plenary meeting of the Workers’ Party that ended the day before.
This is Lee’s first meeting with Austin. The two Ministers had their first phone call on the 18th of last month and emphasized the need for close ROK-U.S. cooperation while discussing pending issues such as North Korea’s ballistic missile test launch and preparations for a nuclear test.
Following the ROK-U.S. summit, in the afternoon of the same day, Minister Austin and Japanese Defense Minister Kishi Nobuo met with the three defense ministers of South Korea, the United States and Japan.
It is the first time in two years and seven months that the defense chiefs of South Korea, the United States and Japan are gathering in one place since the ASEAN expanded defense ministers meeting in November 2019.