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Pentagon chief stresses 'unwavering' security commitment to S.Korea, reassures full 'extended deterrence'
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IANS | 31 Jan, 2023
US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin on Tuesday highlighted America's
"ironclad" and "unwavering" security commitment to South Korea, as some
raise doubts about Washington's "extended deterrence" commitment for the
key ally amid evolving North Korean threats.
He said
there would be more frequent deployments of such high-profile US
strategic assets as advanced stealth jets and aircraft carriers to
Korea, speaking at a joint press conference with his South Korean
counterpart, Lee Jong-sup, following bilateral talks in Seoul, Yonhap
News Agency reported.
"Our commitment to the defence of the ROK
remains ironclad, and the US stands firm in its extended deterrence
commitment," he said, referring to South Korea by its official name, the
Republic of Korea.
"That includes the full range of US defence
capabilities, including our conventional, nuclear and missile defense
capabilities. Now, we have 28,500 uniformed personnel in South Korea...
This shows our unwavering commitment," he added.
His remarks came
after North Korean leader Kim Jong-un publicly called for an
"exponential" increase in his country's nuclear arsenal and named the
South an "undoubted" enemy at a December ruling party meeting.
Kim's
rhetoric has added to a debate over whether the South should develop
its own nuclear weapons or request the US' redeployment of tactical
nuclear arms to the Korean Peninsula.
In an apparent message to both Koreas, Austin stressed the goal of the "denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula."
"The US and the ROK are committed to the denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula, and we've long been that way," he said.
He
added Washington's repetitive mantra of the "ironclad" security
commitment is "not just a slogan." "It is what we're all about," he
said.
As a vivid example of the US commitment, the Pentagon chief
recalled last year's deployment here of America's fifth-generation
fighter jets, like F-22 and F-35 radar-evading fighter jets, and of an
aircraft strike group.
He also mentioned the allies' plan to hold table-top exercises to sharpen deterrence.
"We want to make sure that no stone is left unturned," he said.
Lee
and Austin had their last bilateral in-person talks at the annual
Security Consultative Meeting at the Pentagon last November.
The Pentagon chief arrived here on Monday on a regional swing that will also take him to the Philippines.
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