The United States and South Korea will maintain “the strongest possible joint deterrence” after North Korea’s “escalation actions,” the US envoy to North Korea said on Monday.
The speech comes amid concerns that Pyongyang is preparing to resume nuclear activity.
US Special Representative Sung Kim and his deputy Jung Pak met with South Korean officials, including nuclear envoy Noh Kyu-duk, after arriving in Seoul on Monday for a five-day visit. .
“It is extremely important that the United Nations Security Council send a clear signal to North Korea that we will not accept its escalation of tests as normal,” Kim told reporters after talks with Noh.
“We agree on the need to maintain the strongest possible joint deterrent capability on the peninsula,” he said.
Kim also pointed out that the allies “will respond responsibly and decisively to provocative behavior”, while highlighting his willingness to deal with North Korea “anywhere, without any conditions”.
The arrival of the US representative coincided with the start of an annual nine-day joint military exercise by US and South Korean troops.
The exercise consists of “defensive command post training using computer simulation” and will not involve field maneuvers by troops, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said on Sunday.
North Korea condemns the joint exercises as rehearsals for war, which have been scaled back in recent years amid efforts to involve Pyongyang in diplomacy and also due to Covid-19 restrictions.
On Saturday, North Korea test-fired what state media said were missiles involved in launching tactical nuclear weapons.
*with information from Minwoo Park
Source: CNN Brasil
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