Reuters. South Korea's Defence Minister Lee Jong-sup held a welcome ceremony on Tuesday (January 31) for his U.S. counterpart Lloyd Austin who is in Seoul for talks with South Korean leaders, amid growing threats from North Korea.
The latest meeting follows their annual security talks in November in Washington and comes as South Korea pushes to bolster confidence in American extended deterrence - its military capability, especially nuclear forces, to deter attacks on its allies.
Austin said his trip was aimed at deepening cooperation to tackle shared security challenges and reaffirm the U.S. extended deterrence commitment to South Korea is "ironclad" at a "time of heightened tension and provocation."
Lee has said the two countries will hold nuclear tabletop exercises in February under the scenario of North Korea's nuclear attacks, while Austin said the exercises are in line with the allies' talks to expand extended deterrence activities and mechanisms on the peninsula and in the region.
