South Korea and the U.S. have vowed to immediately respond to any provocative moves by North Korea and agreed to proceed with the deployment of THAAD as planned.

Seoul's Defense Ministry said Minister Han Min-koo and U.S. Secretary of Defense James Mattis spoke over the phone on Tuesday.

During the talks, the two shared the perception of the possibility that the North may choose to carry out a strategic or tactical provocation amid power transitions in Seoul and Washington. 

While also expressing serious concerns over the North’s escalating threat to launch intercontinental ballistic missiles(ICBM), the two officials saw eye to eye on the need to strengthen their cooperation.

They also called for further discussing the North Korean nuclear issue and other issues of mutual concern during their scheduled meeting in Seoul this week.

Mattis will visit South Korea on Thursday on his first overseas trip since taking office under the new Donald Trump administration.

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