S. Korea, U.S. vow closer coordination to better counter N. Korea

SEOUL, Aug. 20 (Yonhap) -- South Korea and the United States agreed Wednesday to work closer to effectively deter North Korea's military provocations, Seoul's defense ministry said.

South Korea's Defense Minister Han Min-koo and visiting U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense Robert Work met and assessed their militaries' joint readiness against North Korea. The allies are currently staging a two-week annual joint military exercise, Ulchi Freedom Guardian.

The two military leaders denounced the North's recent series of missile firings as "grave challenges" to regional and global security and "agreed to further strengthen bilateral policy coordinations to deter and effectively respond to them," the ministry said in a statement.

They also agreed that the annual exercise "is a key contribution to the assurance of the secure Korean Peninsula and the maintenance of the joint defense posture," it said.

North Korea has ratcheted up tensions on the Korean Peninsula by firing off more than a dozen rounds of short-range missiles and rockets so far this year and is now threatening to carry out another nuclear test. The country has detonated nuclear devices three times since 2006.

Earlier in the day, Work observed the two-week joint military drills, which kicked off on Monday with some 50,000 South Korean forces and 30,000 U.S. servicemen taking part.

Wrapping up his first trip to South Korea since taking office earlier this year, Work will depart for Japan on Thursday after meeting with U.S. servicemembers here, officials said.

About 28,500 U.S. troops are currently stationed in South Korea, a legacy of the 1950-53 Korean War.

graceoh@yna.co.kr
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