27 January 2011

Kim and Gates agree to continue joint drills

South Korean Minister of National Defense Kim Kwan-jin and U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates jointly strongly called for North Korea to show clear will and specific behavior of giving up military provocations and its nuclear ambition with sincerity, said the Defense Ministry on Jan. 14.


South Korea's Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin, right, and
U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates shake hands
before the talks at that ministry in Seoul on Jan. 14.


Two defense chiefs met for the first time for military talks since Kim was inaugurated as the Defense Minister. During talks at the ministry in Yongsan, central Seoul on Jan. 14, the two reconfirmed strong South Korea-U.S. alliance and will to defend the Korean Peninsula, said the ministry.

During a visit to Seoul to meet President Lee Myung-bak and Kim, Gates also called for a halt to Pyongyang's "dangerous provocations" and said six-party talks could resume with "productive negotiations, conducted in good faith."

Gates said that South Korea and the United States need to continue joint maritime military drills on all seas around the Korean Peninsula to deter additional attacks by the North.

"The two defense chiefs assessed security situation around the Korean Peninsula after the Yeonpyeong Island shelling and closely consulted about joint military measures to deter further military attacks by the North," the ministry said. "They agreed to defend further threat from North Korea efficiently through solid combined defense posture."

In opening remarks before 40 minutes of bilateral talks, Gates said the North must give clear message that it will carry out obligations of international community.

"Kim explained to Gates that the North must take responsibility for the Cheonan sinking and the Yeonpyeong bombardment, guarantee the prevention of further attacks and make sincere moves toward denuclearization," said a defense official at the ministry. "In case of another attacks, Kim said a strong retaliation would be inevitable and Gates fully understood that."

The defense official added that the two discussed responses to attacks from the North and touched on various military topics, especially joint training drills and the ROK-U.S. Strategic Alliance 2015.

RoK MoD