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| ▲ This photo taken Nov. 12, 2023, shows South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol (R) and U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin shaking hands at the presidential residence during a dinner meeting in Seoul. (Yonhap) |
Yoon-combined defense posture
Yoon calls for combined U.S.-S. Korea defense posture against any N. Korean provocations
SEOUL, Nov. 12 (Yonhap) -- South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has called on the U.S defense chief to maintain the allies' combined defense posture against any North Korean provocations, the presidential office said Sunday.
Yoon invited U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff General Charles Q. Brown, Jr. to the presidential residence for a dinner meeting as they are visiting for the annual ROK-U.S. Security Consultative Meeting (SCM) on Monday, presidential spokesperson Lee Do-woon said.
ROK stands for South Korea's official name, the Republic of Korea.
Yoon called for a vigilant South Korea-US combined defense posture capable of promptly and decisively retaliating against any provocations from North Korea, including surprise attacks resembling Hamas-style tactics due to its miscalculation.
The president said the Ukraine-Russian war and the Israel-Hamas conflict have something to do with North Korea, directly and indirectly.
Austin said President Joe Biden is committed to further strengthening the robust South Korea-US alliance more than ever
On Monday, the allies are expected to discuss a range of security issues, including ways to strengthen Washington's extended deterrence commitment against North Korea's missile and nuclear threats in the 55th SCM meeting.
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