The defense chiefs of South Korea and the United States have expressed respect for all the soldiers who have guarded the Korean Peninsula and reaffirmed their commitment to maintain a firm combined defense posture.
Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo and U.S. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper issued a joint statement marking the 70th anniversary of the outbreak of the Korean War early on Thursday.
In the statement, the defense chiefs urged North Korea to abide by the agreement in its 2018 summit with the U.S. and the inter-Korean military agreement signed in September 2018.
Jeong and Esper also vowed to continue to support diplomacy for the complete denuclearization of North Korea and reaffirmed their commitment to maintain a firm combined defense posture.
The statement said Secretary Esper affirms the U.S.' ironclad commitment to the defense of South Korea, and the two leaders commit to strengthening and adapting the alliance to meet present and future challenges.