Ministry of National Defense Republic of Korea

Korea-U.S.-Japan National Defense Ministers' discuss mutual plan against North Korea's nuclear threats

The Ministry of National Defense announced on May 28 that Kim, Gwan-jin, the Minister of National Defense, will visit Singapore to attend the 13th Asia Security Summit (Shangri-La Dialogue) which will take place from May 30 to the first of next month. 

The Asia Security Summit has been annually held under the supervision of IISS (The International Institute For Strategic Studies) since 2002, and the 13th Asia Security Summit will involve defense ministers, military joint chiefs of staff and security experts from 27 countries in the Asia-Pacific and Europe regions including the U.S., Japan, China, Russia, the UK, and Asian countries.   

During the Summit, Minister Kim intends to discuss pending issues on national defense and mutual interest between countries through two-party talks with defense ministers of the main participant countries, such as Singapore, Australia, the UK, and New Zealand, and including a Korea-U.S. National Defense Ministers' Talk and Korea-U.S.-Japan National Defense Ministers' Talk. 

Under North Korea's provocative acts, particularly the fourth nuclear experiment threat, a plan to strengthen Korea-U.S. joint defense readiness will be the focus of discussion at the Korea-U.S. National Defense Ministers' Talk. In addition, both countries' defense ministers intend to discuss a plan for promoting "condition-based transfer of wartime operational control" on the basis of output from the last Korea-U.S. Summit in April.

A mutual plan against North Korea's nuclear and missile threats and a cooperative plan against supernational and non-military threats such as humanitarian support and disaster relief will be topics of discussion at the Korea-U.S.-Japan National Defense Ministers' Talk.

By Seok-Jong, Lee < seokjong@dema.mil.kr >

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