Acting defense minister Kim Seon-ho spoke over the phone for the first time with the new U.S. defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, Friday.

According to Seoul’s defense ministry, the two sides agreed on the need to further develop and deepen the scope of the bilateral alliance, saying it has been a linchpin of peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and in the region for over 70 years. 

Hegseth reaffirmed the ironclad nature of the U.S. commitment to the defense of South Korea and pledged to work closely with Seoul to further strengthen the South Korea-U.S. alliance based on the trust and friendship between the two countries. 

The defense chiefs agreed that it is more important than ever to maintain a solid combined defense posture and stable management of alliance issues, to effectively deter and respond to North Korea’s nuclear and missile threats.

The two sides also expressed grave concern over the deepening military cooperation between North Korea and Russia and agreed to respond through close cooperation with the international community.

The defense chiefs also agreed to continue to maintain and advance their trilateral security cooperation with Japan to deter the North’s threats on the Korean Peninsula and in the Indo-Pacific region.