South Korean and U.S. military leaders have met for the 35th Military Committee Meeting at the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff headquarters in Seoul on Thursday.

At the meeting, the two sides checked their joint defense posture and evaluated the situation in North Korea. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) Jung Seung-jo led the South Korean delegation, while Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Martin Dempsey led the U.S. delegation.

In his opening remarks, Jung proposed that military leaders of both countries work together to help the agreement reached at last month’s Seoul-Washington summit to bring bilateral relations into new heights of strategic alliance.

General Dempsey said that despite massive military budget cuts, the United States will remain committed to the defense of South Korean allies and maintain its military presence in South Korea at the current level.

Both sides will report the results of the meeting to the 43rd Security Consultative Meeting scheduled for Friday.