admin
WASHINGTON. – The US is ready to support South Korea with both its nuclear and non-nuclear military capabilities, Defence Secretary Mr Lloyd Austin stated.
The statement comes as tensions on the Korean Peninsula are on the rise, and just before North Korea tested an intercontinental ballistic missile yesterday.
Washington and Seoul will be ramping up their defence cooperation and large-scale military exercises, Mr Austin said in a Pentagon press briefing Wednesday alongside South Korean Defence Minister Mr Kim Yong-hyun.
“I assured Minister Kim today that the United States remains fully committed to the defence of the ROK and our extended deterrence commitment remains ironclad,” Mr Austin said.
“That commitment is backed by the full range of America’s conventional missile defence, nuclear and advanced non-nuclear capabilities.”
He added that the US and South Korea will be returning “to large scale exercises” and “strengthening their combined readiness and our interoperability.”
North Korea has blamed Seoul and Washington’s combined military drills for the rising tensions in the region, as it views the exercises as rehearsals for a potential invasion.
Earlier this month, Pyongyang destroyed roads and railways connecting the two Koreas, cutting potential ground routes into North Korea. – RT.com
Online Reporter