US pledges commitment to South Korea's defense

The Pentagon said Saturday that its military leader pledged "unwavering commitment" of the United States to South Korea's defense.

According to a Pentagon statement issued on Saturday, U.S. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, called his South Korean counterpart Adm. Choi Yoon-Hee late Friday night and reiterated the strength of the U.S.-South Korea alliance.

The two military chiefs concurred they would watch the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's (DPRK) actions closely in the coming days and would ensure that the United States and South Korea continue to work closely with each other to deter the DPRK's "provocations and defuse tensions."

The DPRK and South Korea started high-level urgent contact earlier Saturday in the truce village of Panmunjom to discuss the prevailing tense situation on the peninsula.

The meeting is the highest-level inter-Korean contact since President Park took office in February 2013. It came amid escalated tensions caused by cross-border exchange of fire on Thursday over South Korea's propaganda broadcasts.

The DPRK warned that unless South Korea stops propaganda broadcasts in frontline areas before 5 p.m. Saturday (0800 GMT), it will take military actions. South Korea threatened stern retaliation against any further provocations.