오늘 한미국방장관 회담... 예상 의제는
U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper, who is visiting South Korea as part of his five-nation trip to the Asia-Pacific region... met with his South Korean counterpart Jeong Kyeong-doo and Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-hwa this morning.
This is Esper's first overseas trip since taking office last month.
He's to have his first sit-down with President Moon Jae-in later today.
Our Kim Ji-yeon is at Seoul's defense ministry... where Esper is currently at.
Ji-yeon, what were the likely discussion topics between the two defense chiefs?
Just a few minutes ago, Secretary Esper wrote in the defense ministry guest log... that he thanks South Korea for a great partnership and alliance over many decades in advancement of the two countries' mutual values and shared interests.
Jeong welcomed Esper for visiting South Korea and that it's particularly meaningful since it's Esper's first official trip overseas considering the security situation of the Northeast Asian region and the Korean peninsula.
He pointed out recent firings by North Korea amid efforts to establish everlasting peace and in achieving North Korean denuclearization.
Esper thanked Jeong and said when he came into the role as the defense secretary, he reaffirmed to my military commanders that U.S. national defense strategy remains in strategic direction for the U.S. departmnet of defense. That strategy recognizes the Indo-Pacific region as our priority theater. As such, that's why he spent last six days traveling the Indo-Pacific to meet with several, valued allies and partners.
Esper said he come here today to reaffirm that the U.S. and the ROK alliance is ironclad that it is the linchpin of peace and security both on the Korean Peninsula and the Norteast Asia... and that they share the vision of the peaceful peninsula and free and open the Indo-Pacific region.
He added that the U.S. is willing to engage diplomatically with North Korea to make progress in all commitments made in the Singapore joint statement to acheive those ends. In addition, he wanted to acknowledge our progress towards the conditions-based transition of the wartime operational control of the combined forces command from a U.S. commander to a South korean commander. This shows strength of trust between us as allies that strategic advantage that no adversaries can match.
Media outlets in South Korea have speculated that the two sides would share their assessment of North Korea's newly developed short-range ballistic missiles... and discuss ways to better counter North Korea's evolving missile threat.
The two sides are also expected to have discussed South Korea's participation in the U.S.-led coalition to secure shipping routes in the Strait of Hormuz ...as well as renewing the military information-sharing pact between South Korea and Japan.
But the ministry said the deployment of medium-range weapons in Asia... and cost-sharing for stationing American troops in South Korea were not likely to have been di
