The defense chiefs of South Korea and the United States have reviewed the regional security situation and agreed to deepen cooperation in shipbuilding and other areas.
According to Seoul’s defense ministry on Thursday, Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back held his first phone call with U.S. counterpart Pete Hegseth early in the morning and the two reaffirmed the solid nature of the South Korea-U.S. alliance and their combined defense posture.
In the conversation, Ahn expressed hope that through close cooperation, the two sides will further deepen the alliance and develop it into a future-oriented comprehensive strategic alliance.
The defense ministry said that in response, the Pentagon chief reaffirmed his country’s “ironclad” commitment to the defense of South Korea.
The two defense chiefs also agreed to maintain close coordination in response to North Korea’s threats and to further strengthen cooperation on extended deterrence against the North.
In addition, the two sides agreed to continue discussions on modernizing the South Korea-U.S. alliance in a mutually beneficial manner and expand cooperation to include shipbuilding, advanced science and technology, and maintenance, repair and overhaul projects.