21/08/2024 | Press release | Archived content
Minister Shin Won Sik presented a business report to the National Assembly's National Defense Committee
Strengthening the ROK-US Alliance and expanding trilateral cooperation among Korea, the United States and Japan.
Strengthening global security partnerships with like-minded countries
Defense Minister Shin Won Sik gives the opening speech at the plenary session of the National Defense Committee at the National Assembly on August 8.
Defense Minister Shin Won Sik gives the opening speech at the plenary session of the National Defense Committee at the National Assembly on August 8.
Defense Minister Shin Won Sik reiterated that Korea will build a "strong, advanced military" and realize "peace through strength."
At the plenary session of the National Assembly's National Defense Committee on August 8, Minister Shin said that "North Korea has advanced its nuclear and missile capabilities despite the opposition of the international community."
"Recently, the North claims it is sending 250 new tactical ballistic missile launchers towards its border with the South, and signed a comprehensive strategic partnership pact with Russia. These developments pose serious threats to world and European peace, as well as to the Korean Peninsula and the Indo-Pacific region." he added.
"Against this backdrop, our military is maintaining a firm defense readiness posture," the minister said, adding, "We are further strengthening the ROK-US Alliance and expanding trilateral security cooperation among Korea, the United States and Japan, and we are bolstering global security cooperation with like-minded partners such as the United Nations Command and NATO members. We are dedicated to building an advanced and strong military."
According to the trends of the North Korean military in the business report of the Defense Ministry released today, the North is capable of producing highly advanced nuclear weapons.
The Defense Ministry listed North Korea sending trash-filled balloons to the South as an outstanding defense issue, saying that it was aimed at fomenting conflicts in the South and preventing the sending of balloons by South Korean activists to the North. In response, Korea's military has taken measures in partnership with related institutions with public safety as the top priority, the ministry said.
In addition, the Defense Ministry assessed that the ROK-US Alliance, which used to be focused on conventional forces, has been upgraded to a robust nuclear-based alliance by strengthening Korea-US extended deterrence cooperation in an integrated manner based on the ROK-US Guidelines for Nuclear Deterrence and Nuclear Operations on the Korean Peninsula ("Guidelines Document").
The ministry also said that the posture and capabilities of the ROK-US Alliance has been greatly improved with the NCG activities, and conditions have been created for Koreans to live in security by building a ROK-US integrated extended deterrence equivalent to the permanent deployment of US nuclear forces on the Korean Peninsula.
In addition, trilateral security cooperation aimed at deterring and countering the North's advanced nuclear and missile threats has been strengthened and institutionalized with the signing of a Korea-US-Japan security cooperation framework agreement.
By Ah-Mi, Cho <[email protected]>
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