President Yoon Suk Yeol met with U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Tuesday in Seoul.

Presidential spokesperson Kim Eun-hye said in a written press briefing that the president and the Pentagon chief exchanged thoughts on the security condition of the Korean Peninsula, the U.S. extended deterrence and trilateral security cooperation between South Korea, the U.S. and Japan.

During the meeting at the presidential office, Yoon reportedly asked for consultations between Seoul and Washington to produce an effective and strong extended deterrence system that can dispel the South Korean people's concerns about North Korea's evolving nuclear threats. 

Yoon also emphasized the need for effective joint military exercises to deal with the shifting security environment on the peninsula.

Austin reportedly said that the South Korea-U.S. alliance is an important axis of Northeast Asian security and is stronger than ever. He also pledged efforts to bolster the extended deterrence against the North's nuclear and missile threats.

Yoon and Austin also shared the need to enhance the trilateral security cooperation between South Korea, the U.S. and Japan to deter and counter North Korea. 

Austin arrived in Seoul on Monday and held talks with Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup on Tuesday.