S. Korean, U.S. defense chiefs hold phone talks over N.K. IRBM launch

SEOUL, Oct. 4 (Yonhap) -- The defense chiefs of South Korea and the United States held phone talks Tuesday to discuss joint responses to North Korea's intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) launch earlier in the day, Seoul's defense ministry said.

Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup and his U.S. counterpart, Lloyd Austin, reaffirmed their shared determination to respond strongly to any North Korean threats through the deployment of U.S. strategic military assets and other measures and agreed to strengthen the allies' combined defense posture, according to the ministry.

In particular, Austin reiterated Washington's "ironclad" security commitment to providing "extended deterrence" to defend its Asian ally by employing a full range of U.S. military capabilities.

The two sides also agreed to accelerate discussions on joint efforts to reinforce the credibility of the U.S.' extended deterrence when they meet at the annual defense ministerial talks, called the Security Consultative Meeting, slated to take place in Washington later this year.

The defense chiefs condemned the North's firing of the IRBM as a "clear" breach of U.N. Security Council resolutions and a "significant" provocation that seriously threatens peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula as well as in the international community, according to the ministry.

They also warned that the North's continued provocations would only strengthen deterrence and response capabilities of the South Korea-U.S. alliance and deepen its international isolation.

sshluck@yna.co.kr
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