Carter, South Korea President Reaffirm Alliance
DoD News, Defense Media Activity
WASHINGTON, April 10, 2015 – Defense Secretary Ash Carter met with South Korea President Park Geun-hye in Seoul and reaffirmed the strength and importance of the enduring alliance between the United States and South Korea, according to a Defense Department statement issued today.
Carter is on first trip to the Asia-Pacific region as defense secretary. The meeting took place as a precursor to Park's upcoming visit to Washington, the release stated.
The leaders discussed the importance of their countries’ partnership, both in deterring North Korean threats to security and stability on the Korean Peninsula, and in helping assure continued peace and prosperity throughout the Asia-Pacific region, according to the release.
They also covered a wide range of bilateral, regional, and global issues relevant to the U.S.-South Korea alliance, including broadening allied security cooperation into new domains like space and cyberspace, the release said.
The U.S.-South Korea alliance continues to be a linchpin of peace and security in the region and increasingly around the world, Carter noted in the release.
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| South Korean Soldiers (File Photo) |
Leaders Discuss U.S.-South Korea Relations
DoD News, Defense Media Activity
WASHINGTON, April 10, 2015 – Defense Secretary Ash Carter met with South Korea’s National Security Advisor Director Kim Kwan-jin in Seoul to reaffirm the U.S.-South Korea alliance, according to a Defense Department statement issued today.
Carter is on his first trip to the Asia-Pacific region as defense secretary. Carter and Kim, who have known each other for several years, discussed the importance of their countries’ relationship in deterring North Korea’s nuclear, weapons of mass destruction, and ballistic missile threats, the release said.
The two leaders also discussed how those threats continue to put the Korean Peninsula's stability and security at risk, and how the U.S-South Korea alliance is a linchpin of the U.S. rebalance to the Asia-Pacific, according to the release.
During the leaders’ meeting, Carter made clear that as an alliance, the United States and South Korea continue to stand shoulder to shoulder to address those threats and respond to any provocation, the release stated.
The leaders covered ongoing progress in strengthening the alliance, including implementing the joint decision to move to a conditions-based transfer of wartime operational control, and the December 2014 trilateral South Korea-U.S.-Japan information-sharing agreement to help deter North Korean aggression, the release said.
Carter also expressed his personal interest in further strengthening the U.S.-South Korea alliance, which has growing importance to peace and stability around the globe, according to the release.
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| South Korean & US Marines come ashore during an Exercise |
Carter, South Korea’s Han Solidify Alliance
By Terri Moon Cronk
DoD News, Defense Media Activity
WASHINGTON, April 10, 2015 – The U.S.-South Korea alliance has a global reach based on mutual trust and common values, Defense Secretary Ash Carter said in a joint press conference after meeting with South Korean Minister of Defense Han Min-Koo today.
As Carter begins to wrap up his first official visit to the region as defense secretary, he met with his military counterpart in Seoul.
“We've worked together [with South Korea] to counter [the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant], combat Ebola and help rebuild Afghanistan,” Carter said.
“The gains for our national, regional and global security have been impressive, and I thank the Republic of Korea for all it’s doing to ensure peace and security around the world,” the secretary added.
Defense Secretary Reaffirms Resolve, Support
Carter reaffirmed the United States' resolve and support for the alliance and the defense of the Republic of Korea, and he emphasized America's unwavering commitment to its rebalancing strategy in the Asia-Pacific region.
“In light of this, I assessed that the U.S. strategy to rebalance toward the Asia-Pacific will contribute to promoting the peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and in Northeast Asia,” Han said.
The defense leaders reaffirmed their countries’ commitments to the strong alliance and to deepening their collaboration in the years ahead, Carter noted, adding there is particular emphasis on new domains such as space and cyberspace.
North Korea Threats Pivotal to Talks
North Korea’s threats were also key to the leaders’ talk. Carter said they made a candid assessment of the growing North Korean nuclear weapon of mass destruction and ballistic missile threats, “which continue to put at risk the peace and security of the Korean Peninsula, the region, and the U.S. homeland,” he said.
And as North Korea again demonstrated with its recent missile launches, the country is intent on continued provocation, Carter said.
Han added, “Secretary Carter and I reaffirmed that we will continue to work together on reinforcing the alliance's comprehensive capabilities in response to North Korea's nuclear and ballistic missile threats.”
Carter and Han also agree on the importance of trilateral information sharing to deter North Korea nuclear missile provocations, Han said.
South Korea, U.S., Japan Cooperation
“[Carter] concurred that Korea, the United States, and Japan should cooperate closely to contribute to peace and stability in Northeast Asia and the world,” the South Korean leader said.
“On the peninsula, deterrence and readiness are at a premium,” Carter said. “So, we're investing in advanced capabilities to make sure that our top, new investments are tailored to this dynamic security environment and can play a role in … assuring security here.”
To that end, he said, the United States is beginning to rotationally deploy Army brigade combat teams to Korea, providing a more ready set of forces for the peninsula.
“And we're working hard to ensure interoperability with our Korean allies, including thorough training and exercises, like Key Resolve and Foal Eagle,” Carter noted.
The defense leaders also talked about their decision to adopt a conditions-based approach to the transition of wartime operational control, Carter pointed out.
The secretary called it a significant alliance decision, and said both he and Han remain committed to the objectives their nations established at the last security consultative meeting in October 2014.
Looking at America's lasting presence in the Asia-Pacific region, Carter said, “As secretary of defense, I'm personally committed to overseeing the next phase of our rebalance to the region, which will deepen and diversify our engagement throughout the Asia Pacific.”