The United States and South Korea have agreed to deepen cooperation on solution on issues of Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), according to a statement released after two days of talks between U.S. and South Korean defense officials in Washington.

In a joint statement, issued by the Defense Department, the two sides shared the view that recent DPRK provocations, including recent missile launches and the looming threat of a fourth nuclear test "undermine" stability of the Korean Peninsula and the region.

The two sides also addressed ways to strengthen coordinated actions and the importance of continued close collaboration within the alliance to enable better deterrence of and response to DPRK provocations, the statement said.

"The U.S. reaffirmed the continued U.S. commitment to provide and strengthen extended deterrence for South Korea using the full range of military capabilities, including the U.S. nuclear umbrella, conventional strike, and missile defense capabilities," it said.

Tensions have been heightened on the peninsula in recent weeks, during which the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) fired a volley of missiles, both Koreas fired artillery shells into each other's waters, and Pyongyang threatened to conduct a "new form" of nuclear test.

The DPRK has vowed to take self-defense countermeasures against the United States as long as Washington "persists in its hostile policy toward the DPRK."

Go to Forum >>0 Comment(s)