Ministry of National Defense Republic of Korea

Defense ministers from ROK, US and Japan hold phone conference

On the morning of February 10, 2022, Minister of National Defense Suh Wook held phone talks with his American counterpart Lloyd Austin and his Japanese counterpart Kishi Nobuo, during which they shared their assessment of the situation on the Korean Peninsula and in the region.

During the talks, Suh emphasized that North Korea’s recent consecutive launches of missiles, including medium-range ballistic missiles, are direct and severe threats to us, acts that cause instability in the region, and challenges to the UN Security Council Resolution.

Regarding the increasing nuclear and missile threats from North Korea, Suh said that our military has confronted and responded to the threats on the basis of its independent availability of the 「weapons of mass destruction (WMD) response system」 and a firm ROK-US alliance, and will continue to further strengthen this response.

Meanwhile, the ministers from the three countries agreed to hold a face-to-face meeting at a mutually agreeable date in the future, cooperate closely with each other against missile threats from North Korea, and continue to make efforts to achieve the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.