South Korea and the United States held an annual defense ministers" meeting in Seoul Monday, confirming their strong military alliance that has lasted for more than six decades. U.S. Defense Secretary Ashton Carter arrived in Seoul Sunday for a two-day visit to attend the 47th round of the Security Consultative Meeting (SCM), an annual defense ministers" dialogue mechanism between Washington and Seoul. Carter said in his introductory remarks for a bilateral meeting with South Korean Defense Minister Han Min-Koo that the U.S.-South Korea alliance is stronger than ever, according to local media reports. The Pentagon chief added that the U.S. will to defend South Korea is also firmer than ever before. Han said that he and Carter approved the conditions-based transfer of Washington"s wartime command of South Korean forces to Seoul during the one-on-one meeting and discussed various cooperation ways to respond to nuclear and missile threats from the Democratic People"s Republic of Korea (DPRK). During an extended meeting, Han and Carter will re-confirm the security pledges of their alliance for peace and stability on the Korean peninsula while re-examining various security issues, the South Korean defense chief said. |
