Osan Air Base/Seoul, Nov 3 (IANS) US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth landed at Osan Air Base in South Korea on Monday for talks with Defence Minister Ahn Gyu-back on possibly readjusting the alliance of the two nations, with the two defense chiefs set to visit the tense border with North Korea.
The planned joint visit by Ahn and Hegseth to the Joint Security Area (JSA) inside the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) separating the two Koreas would mark the first such visit by the allies’ defense chiefs since October 2017.
As part his two-day visit to South Korea, Hegseth is expected to meet Korean and American troops stationed at the DMZ and visit Camp Humphreys, a sprawling US military base some 65 kilometers south of Seoul, to thank service members and families, Yonhap News Agency reported.
Ahn and Hegseth will jointly hold the allies’ annual defence dialogue, called the Security Consultative Meeting, on Tuesday to discuss a range of alliance issues, such as their policy coordination on North Korea and combined defence posture.
The 250-kilometer-long DMZ is a buffer zone between Seoul and Pyongyang, which technically remain at war as the 1950-53 Korean War ended with an armistice, not a peace treaty.
This year’s meeting may include discussions on key alliance and security issues, including the “strategic flexibility” of U.S. forces stationed in South Korea as well as Seoul’s push to retake wartime operational control (OPCON) from Washington.
Both sides are also widely expected to consult on Seoul’s push to acquire a nuclear-powered submarine following relevant discussions between President Lee Jae Myung and U.S. President Donald Trump in their summit talks last week.
South Korea has vowed to regain OPCON from Washington within South Korean President Lee Jae Myung’s five-year term that ends in 2030.
Hegseth has called Seoul’s push for OPCON transfer “great” and described South Korea as a “combat credible” partner, while noting the need for allies to take greater security responsibilities.
In response, Ahn has said he will make the “utmost” efforts to ensure the retaking of OPCON from Washington while maintaining a strong and steadfast alliance.
–IANS
int/akl/mr
Disclaimer
The information contained in this website is for general information purposes only. The information is provided by BhaskarLive.in and while we endeavour to keep the information up to date and correct, we make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability with respect to the website or the information, products, services, or related graphics contained on the website for any purpose. Any reliance you place on such information is therefore strictly at your own risk.
In no event will we be liable for any loss or damage including without limitation, indirect or consequential loss or damage, or any loss or damage whatsoever arising from loss of data or profits arising out of, or in connection with, the use of this website.
Through this website you are able to link to other websites which are not under the control of BhaskarLive.in We have no control over the nature, content and availability of those sites. The inclusion of any links does not necessarily imply a recommendation or endorse the views expressed within them.
Every effort is made to keep the website up and running smoothly. However, BhaskarLive.in takes no responsibility for, and will not be liable for, the website being temporarily unavailable due to technical issues beyond our control.
For any legal details or query please visit original source link given with news or click on Go to Source.
Our translation service aims to offer the most accurate translation possible and we rarely experience any issues with news post. However, as the translation is carried out by third part tool there is a possibility for error to cause the occasional inaccuracy. We therefore require you to accept this disclaimer before confirming any translation news with us.
If you are not willing to accept this disclaimer then we recommend reading news post in its original language.